Preventive Dentistry

The current treatment model for many dentists is a disease model that rewards aggressive dental treatment.  In contrast, Dr. Umeda and his team operate from a health model that emphasizes proper diagnosis with risk assessment and uses minimally invasive treatments with quality materials.

Doing a proper risk assessment helps identify and prevent the development or progression of dental problems. By taking preventive measures, you will save costs over time.

Preventive dentistry includes in-office services such as full exams (including oral cancer screenings), x-rays, teeth cleaning, polishing, and sealants to protect children’s teeth from decay. We work with you to establish a personalized at-home care plan to keep your teeth and gums healthy in between visits. This article from BBC.com provides some great information about the best way to brush your teeth.

We also perform periodontal (gum) disease therapy to assess and monitor risk and prevent decay. When it comes to gum disease, patients often do not even realize that they have a problem until it is very far advanced. Early symptoms are usually minor. However, gum disease is closely linked to overall health. When left untreated, it can cause problems not just in your mouth but in other areas of your body, including heart disease. We regularly screen you for signs of inflammation and bone loss in order to detect signs of early gum disease.

Oral care probiotic supplements can be useful for the treatment of dental disease and bad breath. The introduction of beneficial bacteria strains in the oral cavity can crowd out recolonization of unhealthy bacteria. The benefits of oral care probiotics extend beyond your mouth. Probiotics provide full-body benefits, such as promoting a healthy microbiome in your digestive system, decreasing inflammation, and lowering your risk of heart attack or strokes. We feel this is a great preventive tool to add to your at-home care program, and we offer ProBioraPro oral care probiotics at our office.

Our approach to dental health and overall wellness is to prevent serious dental problems before they develop so we can keep your teeth and gums healthy in the long-term.

We recommend this in-depth article from The Atlantic that emphasizes why minimally invasive dentistry is ideal. It also explores the risks associated with overly aggressive treatments.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCE(S):

An Epidemic is Upon Us (large PDF file) – The Role of Human Papilloma Virus (HPV): Leading to Oral & Oropharyngeal Cancer (OPC)