Dental exams and teeth cleaning in Naples, Florida

Good dental health enables you to speak with confidence, eat with ease and laugh without feeling embarrassed about the condition of your teeth. But all too often, people put their dental health on a back burner until a problem arises.

Whether it’s been a few months or several years since you last saw a dentist, we offer a comfortable environment where you are encouraged to ask questions and are never made to feel self-conscious about the condition of your teeth. It’s never too late to get your smile back on track.

During your first dental exam at Naples Center for Cosmetic Dentistry, your dentist will look for signs of:

• Tooth decay
• Teeth grinding
• Bone loss
• Oral cancer
• Periodontal (gum) disease

Many of our patients have been coming to us for years because they trust us to keep their mouth, teeth and gums healthy. We hope to establish a relationship built on trust with you as well.

Teeth Cleaning in Naples

Most people call our dental office when it’s time to have their teeth cleaned. It’s the one dental procedure people looking forward to receiving. But professional teeth cleanings serve an important purpose in your dental health. They remove plaque and calculus that leads to tooth decay.

Plaque is a sticky, colorless layer of bacteria that coats your teeth every time you eat or drink. The bacteria in plaque convert sugars in food and beverages into acids that erode the tooth enamel and cause decay that can lead to cavities, literally holes in your teeth. That’s why dentists incessantly stress the importance of brushing and flossing your teeth after every meal.

Unfortunately, even the most committed at-home oral health routine can’t eliminate all of the plaque. In less than 24 hours, plaque hardens into an even tougher substance called calculus, also known as tartar. Only a professional teeth cleaning can remove plaque and calculus from the surfaces of the teeth and in hard-to-reach places between the teeth.

The same bacteria that can cause tooth decay can also migrate below the gums and cause gum (periodontal) disease. Other types of hygiene cleanings can remove these bacteria. The type of teeth cleaning you need depends on the health of your teeth and gums.

Here are some examples of dental treatments for hygiene:

• Prophylaxis: People who only need their teeth cleaned above the gum line to remove plaque, calculus and surface stains need a prophylaxis teeth cleaning. This is also known as a “prophy” or a healthy-mouth cleaning. Dentists recommend you get a prophy twice a year. This is the type of teeth cleaning most often covered by dental insurance. While a prophy removes plaque on the teeth and at the gum line, it does not remove bacteria below the gum line.
• Gingivitis Therapy: Gingivitis is the first stage of gum disease, and is the only stage that is reversible. If the infection is in the early stages, the hygienist can treat it during your hygiene visit. If it’s more advanced, the dentist may recommend you see a gum specialist called a periodontist for treatment.
• Scaling & Root Planing: People who are diagnosed with an active gum infection and a more advanced stage of periodontal disease will require treatment both above and below the gum line to remove the harmful bacteria. Scaling & root planing (SRP) is a non-surgical treatment that removes bacteria and smooths out exposed root surfaces. The dentist also may apply an antibiotic to kill the bacteria. SRP may take more than one office visit to complete Afterward, the dentist may prescribe a periodontal maintenance routine, including more frequent professional cleanings, to help manage the disease.

Cleaning Teeth Below the Gum Line

Periodontal disease is widespread. Half of Americans over the age of 30 have some form of gum disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The number jumps to 70 percent for people over the age of 65. It is the leading cause of tooth loss in adults.

The same bacteria that create acids that cause dental decay can also damage the ligaments, tissue and bone that hold teeth in place under the gums. This can result in the gum tissue pulling away from the tooth, creating “pockets” around the tooth where more bacteria can collect. Some people have no symptoms of the disease.

Others may that their gums tend to bleed when they brush or floss their teeth. As the infection becomes worse, symptoms like bad breath, a receding gum line or teeth shifting out of position may show up. Scaling & root planing and other forms of periodontal treatment can remove the bacteria, but can’t repair the damage.

Periodontal disease is a chronic, systemic disease, similar to other chronic diseases like diabetes or heart disease. It’s only reversible in the early stage of gingivitis. Once it progresses, it can be managed but not reversed.

Bad Breath Management

Although raw onions and garlic get a lot of blame for bad breath, most often it’s caused by germs in your mouth. Halitosis, the medical term for bad breath, affects 25 percent of the U.S. population.

When bacteria cause dental decay, the damaged cells can release an unpleasant odor. Professional teeth cleanings and gum treatments will address this problem. Following up with a regular routine of brushing your teeth after meals, flossing and rinsing with a mouthwash also will help control bad breath.

Oral Cancer Screening

As part of your first visit to our office, you will be offered an oral cancer screening. This quick, easy and painless test allows the dentist to see signs of oral cancer that are not visible to the naked eye.

Oral cancer often has no symptoms in its early stages, which makes it especially dangerous. As the disease progresses, symptoms include lumps in the check, pain when chewing food and sores in the mouth. Often oral cancer is only discovered when the cancer has metastasized to another location, most likely the lymph nodes of the neck.

On average, one person dies from oral cancer in the United States every hour, according to the Oral Cancer Foundation. The death rate for oral cancer is higher than that of more commonly known cancers including cervical cancer, Hodgkin’s lymphoma, testicular cancer and thyroid cancer. Early detection saves lives.

We recommend everyone over the age of 18 gets screened.

Teeth Grinding & Night Guards

Morning headaches and a sore jaw when you wake up may be indications that you are grinding your teeth in your sleep. Teeth grinding, also called bruxism, affects up to 40 million Americans.

Teeth grinding is often caused by stress. However, it can also be the result of crooked teeth or a “bad bite.” If it's severe enough, it can wear down the enamel of your teeth.

Our dentist will look for signs of teeth grinding and may ask you if you have any of these symptoms:

• Morning headaches
• Wake with a sore jaw
• Chipped or cracked teeth
• Tooth sensitivity

Our dentist can fit you with a mouth guard to protect your teeth while you sleep.

Call Today to Schedule a Dental Exam

Call Naples Center for Cosmetic Dentistry today at (239) 206-4282. We look forward to finding a convenient day and time for you to come in for a comprehensive dental exam. We look forward to seeing you.