Preventative Dentistry for Adults
Patient Education
Dr. Cook and his team encourage preventative care for a healthy mouth. Our dental hygienists are licensed oral health professionals who focus on preventing and treating oral diseases to protect the health of your teeth and gums as well as your overall health. We educate patients on proper oral hygiene techniques to maintain a healthy mouth, teaching healthy habits for life-long oral health.
The Dental Hygiene Visit
We use state-of-the-art technology such as this intra oral camera to help with patient diagnosis and education.
Regular dental hygiene visits (typically every six months) are encouraged to maintain a healthy mouth free of disease. In addition to cleaning plaque, staining, and calculus, our dental hygienists perform the following oral health assessments on an as-needed basis:
- Review of health history
- Oral cancer screen
- Radiographs
- Evaluation of gum health/disease
- Oral hygiene instruction/education
- Nutritional evaluation
- Dental charting
Digital Radiographs
We use state-of-the-art digital radiographs (x-rays) to detect dental problems at the earliest stage possible. This saves time and money for patients and helps to minimize discomfort and prevent more serious health problems. X-rays help detect diseases of the oral cavity that cannot be seen with a visual examination, such as decay between teeth or around fillings, bone damage from tooth infection, bone loss due to gum disease, developmental defects, effects from trauma, tumors, and the existence and position of unerupted teeth. Our digital radiograph equipment is superior, requiring very low levels of radiation and providing the highest image quality with a comfortable, flexible, wafer-thin film.
Doctor Exam
At the end of your dental cleaning and assessment by the hygienist, Dr. Cook will examine your mouth, teeth, and gums. He will identify any changes in your dental and medical health status since the previous evaluation, perform an oral cancer evaluation, review radiographs, and diagnose any issues or diseases of the mouth.
Preventative Dentistry for Children
At Village Dental we begin seeing children for cleanings at age three to help them establish and maintain a healthy mouth. We strive to make your child’s visit to the dentist a positive one so that they will look forward to their return visit.
Patient Education
Teaching good oral health habits early is important to Dr. Cook’s team. We are dedicated to preventative care for life-long oral health. We take time at each appointment to review brushing and flossing techniques, encourage good home care, and also discuss any dietary issues with our younger patients.
Our dental hygienists are licensed oral health professionals who focus on preventing and treating oral diseases to protect the health of your teeth and gums as well as your overall health. We educate patients on proper oral hygiene techniques to maintain a healthy mouth, teaching healthy habits to last a lifetime.
The Dental Hygiene Visit
In addition to cleaning plaque, stain and calculus, our dental hygienists perform the following oral health assessments on an as-needed basis:
- Review of health history
- Oral cancer screen
- Radiographs
- Sealants
- Fluoride
- Evaluation of gum health/disease
- Oral hygiene instruction/education
- Nutritional evaluation
- Dental charting
Regular visits, typically every six months, to see our hygienists are encouraged to maintain a healthy mouth free of disease.
Digital Radiographs
We use state-of-the-art digital radiographs (x-rays) to detect dental problems at the earliest stage possible. This saves time and money for patients and helps to minimize discomfort and prevent more serious health problems.
X-rays help detect diseases of the oral cavity that cannot be seen with a visual examination, such as decay between teeth or around fillings, bone damage from tooth infection, bone loss due to gum disease, developmental defects, effects from trauma, tumors, and the existence and position of unerupted teeth.
Our digital radiograph equipment is superior, requiring very low levels of radiation and providing the highest image quality with a comfortable, flexible, wafer-thin film. We use a small film size for children.
Doctor Exam
At the end of your dental cleaning and assessment work by the hygienist, Dr. Cook will examine your mouth, teeth, and gums. He will identify any changes in your dental and medical health status since the previous evaluation, perform an oral cancer evaluation, review radiographs, and diagnose any issues or diseases of the mouth.
Fluoride
Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral present in all water sources. Research has shown that fluoride is effective in preventing and reversing the early signs of dental caries (tooth decay) in both children and adults. Fluoride makes the tooth structure stronger so teeth are more resistant to acid attacks.
Fluoride is used in two forms: topical and systemic. Our hygienists can apply a topical fluoride treatment to help prevent decay on teeth already in the mouth. Systemic fluoride (fluoride tablets or fluoridated water) can be ingested into the body to become incorporated into teeth forming under the gum line.
Sealants
Sealants are very useful in preventing tooth decay on back teeth (premolars and molars). To keep decay from starting in the grooves of back teeth, a tooth-colored material is applied to the biting and chewing surface of the teeth, sealing off the pits and grooves where decay typically starts. Village Dental uses UltraSeal XT® Plus as a sealant material which contains no BPA.