Preventive Dentistry
Keeping Smiles Healthy in Lexington, KY
At Hamburg Family Dental, we want all of our patients to enjoy smiles that promote overall health and wellness. With prevention in mind, we use advanced technology to detect disease and decay sooner so we can fix small problems before they progress. We love seeing our patients in our office, of course, but our goal is to provide such great preventive care that you don’t need to spend much time with us for major restorative work or treatments. You and your family should see us twice a year for regular exams and cleanings to keep your smiles healthy and happy for life!
Worth Smiling About
Schedule a visit for the whole family today!
Oral Hygiene
Do you dread hearing the question, “Have you been flossing regularly?” We ask because we care! Unless you’re a diligent flosser, which most folks are not, you’re missing out on a simple way to maintain your oral and overall health. With all we now know about the connections between poor oral health and systemic health problems like heart attack, stroke, and diabetes, it’s our duty to educate our patients.
Oral Hygiene at Home
- Consider investing in an electric toothbrush. They really do clean better than a manual and with less effort!
- Brush at least twice a day for at least two minutes. Hold the brush at a 45-degree angle, brushing in small circular motions. Focus on brushing along and under the gum line and between teeth, and be sure to reach all the way to the back!
- The tongue and the rest of the mouth can harbor a lot of bacteria that will only get re-deposited after you’re done brushing, so be sure to brush the tongue or use a tongue scraper, and rinse with mouthwash for an added boost of decay and gum disease prevention.
- Floss at least once every day. Curve the floss in a c-shape around each tooth and under the gum line, rather than just snapping it up and down between the teeth. Make sure to release a new section of floss between each tooth to avoid re-depositing plaque and bacteria from one site to another. If traditional string floss doesn’t work for you, there are plenty of flossing alternatives and we would be happy to recommend one that suits your needs.
- Rinse with water after eating, before brushing, and between meals to minimize plaque, acid, and bacteria buildup throughout the day and minimize damage from brushing.
Dental Cleanings & Exams
Regardless of your hygiene habits, we have an incredible hygiene team to take care of any plaque or tartar you’ve left behind. We’ll give you a thorough yet gentle cleaning to get your mouth in tip-top shape, and you won’t leave with sore gums or feelings of resentment. This is one teeth cleaning you might actually enjoy! You’ll leave with that fresh-from-the-dentist clean feeling and a smile knowing you made the right decision to come see us.Your regular visits with Dr. Patel and our team are not only important for cleaning your teeth, but for comprehensive exams to look for any potential problems. We use digital x-rays, intraoral cameras, and oral cancer screening technology to illuminate small areas of disease and decay before they progress into larger, more painful, and more costly complications down the road. We’re all about prevention here at Hamburg Family Dental!
Gum Disease
Gum disease, formally known as periodontal disease, is a bacterial infection that affects a large majority of adults. If your gums bleed when you brush or floss, you may have early-stage gum disease, gingivitis. The good news is, gingivitis is treatable and reversible.
Gum disease left untreated can have serious consequences for your health, dramatically increasing your risk for systemic problems like heart attack, stroke, or diabetes and dental problems like tooth mobility, bone loss, or tooth loss. If early-stage gum disease has progressed, you may require more extensive treatments like scaling and root planing or gum surgery to replace lost tissue and protect your teeth. This advanced stage is called Periodontal disease. Treat your gum disease today to keep your whole body healthy and happy.
Oral Cancer Screenings
Oral cancer is one of the deadliest forms of cancer, and unfortunately, rates are on the rise in the United States. This particular form of cancer has high mortality rates because it is typically not detected until late-stage, which isn’t surprising considering only a small percentage of dentists actually screen for oral cancer. At Hamburg Family Dental, we take oral cancer and your health very seriously, that’s why we’re dedicated to regular oral cancer screenings for our patients.
With our advanced VELscope™ oral cancer screening technology, we’re able to illuminate cell and tissue abnormalities that would go undetected by the naked eye. This device uses a combination of all three multi-spectral wavelengths to provide more visual information and increased confidence in oral cancer screenings, so you can have peace of mind.
Mouthguards
Athletic Mouthguards
Your healthy smile is one of your greatest assets, so you should protect it at all costs! Baby teeth set the stage for adult teeth to grow in properly, and once you have your adult teeth, they’re the only set you’ve got! If you or your little one is involved in any type of contact sports, we highly recommend a custom mouthguard from your Lexington dentist. Custom mouthguards offer the highest level of protection against oral injuries and tooth loss, and can even minimize damage from concussions.
Nightguards
If you clench and grind your teeth at night or suffer from chronic headaches and migraines or TMJ, you might be amazed what a simple mouthguard or nightguard can do to relieve pain and tension and minimize damage to your teeth. Show your mouth the love it deserves and invest in your smile with a custom mouthguard. Your future smile will thank you!
Benefits of Custom Mouthguards from your Lexington Dentist
- Perfect fit custom to your mouth
- More comfortable to wear than store-bought stock or boil & bite mouthguards
- Higher level of protection
- Great for contact sports
- Help protect teeth from teeth grinding
- Relieve pain & tension of headaches, migraines & TMJ
Get in Touch
If you have any questions about general dentistry or would like to schedule a cleaning and exam with your Lexington general dentist, Dr. Alisha Patel at Hamburg Family Dental, give us a call today or request an appointment easily online!