Dental Treatment Options at Beverly Pediatric Dentistry
Your smile is the first thing people notice about you. The mouth is the centerpiece in talking, eating, conveying emotion; essentially everything you do comes back down to it! With this in mind, it is important to understand your smile, teeth, mouth and your general oral health. This includes all of the components, potential conditions, and dental treatment options available to help give you your most radiant, confident smile. At Beverly Family Dentistry, we offer the Northern Virginia, Mclean, DC, Arlington, and surrounding communities various treatment options when it comes to satisfying their dental needs and desires.
Home Care and Preventative Care
Every healthy mouth starts with good home care and diligent upkeep. The American Dental Association recommends at least semi-annual dental visits. These trips to the dentist are called “recall visits,” and typically consist of an exam, a prophylactic cleaning, sometimes x-rays, and sometimes fluoride, depending on your needs. A commitment to semi-annual visits, annual x- rays, and consistent home care ensures a solid foundation for good, lasting oral health. In some cases, your dentist may recommend more frequent visits every 3-4 months. Each person has different needs according to their observed condition. In any case, prevention and early detection of any potential problem is the key to successful therapy.
Among some of the simple, non-invasive, protective therapies available is a Night Guard. This appliance is useful in helping to arrest bruxism, or grinding, at night. A Night Guard can help preserve tooth structure, prevent tension headaches from grinding, and arrest morning jaw pain before it starts.
Tooth Decay
Dental visits at least every 6 months also aids in early detection of cavities. With annual x-rays and semi-annual clinical exams, a dentist can detect any area of dental decay before it progresses. Small areas of decay or demineralization can be remedied with resin or porcelain fillings. Bonded composite resin is a tooth-colored, light-cured material that can help in filling or reshaping a tooth. Sometimes, larger, or more progressed decay, requires more involved therapy. This may include a full-coverage porcelain restoration, like a crown, and if necessary, root canal therapy. An indication for root canal therapy would be if the decay reaches the nerve of the tooth or if the tooth has an infection.
Porcelain Restorations
Porcelain restorations are made of a strong, natural-looking ceramic and are cemented on permanently. Through the use of crowns, bridges, veneers, and other porcelain work, we are able to deliver artful, natural-looking, beautiful restorations. This porcelain work can restore broken-down tooth structure, enhance existing tooth structure, or modify one or multiple teeth at a time.
Tooth Replacement
Sometimes, a porcelain crown may be necessary to replace a missing tooth. In this case, the function and aesthetic of the missing tooth (or teeth) can be reestablished by a dental implant(s) or by a bridge. A dental implant is the dental treatment option that most closely mimics the structure of a natural tooth. It provides an individual replacement and is the option with the most longevity. Because of this, good candidates for implants usually find this to be the best option in tooth replacement. Alternatively, one can also consider a dental bridge.
A dental bridge is a connection of crowns using natural teeth to bridge over a space. Because surgery is not necessary for this treatment, it may be a better option for patients with health problems. If a patient is missing several teeth, up to an entire arch of teeth, then another consideration for the restoration of form and function is an implant-supported denture.
Function and Form
Proper function is crucial in order to provide the best foundation for a beautiful, lasting smile. One way to establish proper function of the teeth is to accurately align them. This alignment of the teeth ensures that appropriate forces are being applied to all teeth in a balanced manner throughout all function. At Beverly Family Dentistry, we use Invisalign clear orthodontic aligners to help us achieve this alignment and straightening. In addition to providing a functional, balanced bite, Invisalign also helps in creating a beautiful, straightened teeth in a very non-invasive way.
Cosmetic Whitening
Another non-invasive procedure that helps in creating a confident smile is whitening. At Beverly Family Dentistry, we offer the Zoom! Whitening system. This procedure consists of a desensitization per with a prescribed toothpaste (if necessary), and an in-office visit for the actual whitening. Because of the use of desensitizing toothpaste prior to your visit, as well as a patented desensitizing agent during the procedure, Zoom! whitening does not produce as much sensitivity as competing whitening brands.
Overall Health
When it’s all said and done, the most imperative take-away from this article is prioritization of self-care. A healthy body starts with a healthy mouth, and this includes what you put into it. A proper diet, varied with fruits and vegetables, several sources of protein, and adequate hydration helps in maintaining a healthy oral environment. Foods and drinks high in sugars, acidity, or coloring are detrimental to the teeth, gums, and overall health.
If you are curious about any of the topics covered above, you can read more about them on our blog and procedures page. You can also reach out to Dr. Annoni or Dr. Mohammadi with any questions you may have.