Comprehensive, Preventive Care
No one enjoys dealing with dental problems that require expensive and invasive procedures. With preventive dentistry services, our Broadway dentist can help patients prevent serious dental health problems before they arise or worsen. Dr. Jared Kneib and the team at Broadway dental proudly serve patients in the Broadway, VA area with top-quality dental care.
What Is Preventive Dentistry?
Preventive dentistry helps maintain the condition of your oral health and prevents problems from developing, or intervening as soon as possible to keep problems minimal. With regular dental cleanings and examinations from our general dentist, you can receive early treatment for gum disease, oral cancers, and other conditions.
Dental Cleanings and Exams
Dental cleanings and exams consist of Dr. Kneib removing traces of unhealthy bacteria and evaluating underlying oral health issues that may have developed. Family dentists may also check the tongue, throat, head, neck, and mouth for any signs of complications. These examinations can help your dentist determine the state of your mouth, as well as your health, and help catch oral diseases early.
Our dental hygienists will always polish and floss your teeth after unhealthy bacteria have been removed during the cleaning, giving your smile a clean, beautiful shine. Depending on the condition of your teeth and gums, Dr. Kneib may recommend changes to your at-home oral hygiene routine or future treatments to protect your dental health.
Periodontal Care
Periodontal disease, more commonly known as gum disease, is an oral infection that starts in your gum tissue. It’s caused by a buildup of plaque, a type of harmful bacteria that sticks to your teeth and eventually hardens into tartar when left untreated. Tartar is nearly impossible to remove without professional cleaning and dental tools. Patients typically develop gum disease due to poor oral hygiene habits and lack of visits to their dentist.
Gum Grafting
As gum disease progresses, it will cause your gum tissue to recede from your teeth, creating troublesome spaces known as periodontal pockets. Our Broadway, VA dentist can utilize gum grafting to reverse this. To perform this procedure, we’ll use healthy gum tissue from another part of your mouth or a donor source and graft it to the receding areas.
Oral Cancer Screening
Oral cancer screenings are vital to catching the disease in its infancy, often before symptoms have even developed. When cancer is caught early, it can increase your chances of successful treatment and healing. During your biannual visit, your dentist will discuss your oral health history and examine for signs of mouth and throat cancer. The exam takes no longer than five minutes and is included in your appointment. Regular visits to our Broadway, VA office can ensure any signs can be spotted and treated immediately.
Dental Sealants
If you or your children have deep ridges on the chewing surfaces of your teeth, you may consider dental sealants. Dental sealants are a great preventive treatment used to reduce your risk of developing cavities. It’s an easy way to protect your teeth as our Broady dental team can apply sealants in a matter of minutes. It works like a protective barrier so food particles and plaque can’t become trapped, reducing your risk of cavities.
Frequently Asked Questions
There are a few risks associated with getting oral cancer screenings, but they’re minimal. You may end up receiving a false positive, in which case more testing is needed to determine the presence of cancer. Oral cancer screenings also cannot detect every form of cancer, so it’s possible a screening may miss a small lesion or some cells.
If you have a dental insurance policy, your dental cleaning may be partially or fully covered, and you won’t need to pay for it yourself. However, if you don’t have dental insurance, you’ll need to pay for the cleaning out-of-pocket. To find out how much your dental cleaning will cost, contact our Broadway dental office for assistance as we provide financing options.
Most early-stage cases of gum disease can be cured with professional treatment. The first stage, gingivitis, can even be reversed with the help of better oral hygiene practices and regular visits to the dentist.
With the help of our Broadway dental team, you may have a chance to cure your mild or advanced gum disease. After your treatment, you’ll need to follow oral health instructions from Dr. Kneib so you can fully recover and help ensure your gum disease doesn’t return.
