Preserve Your Smile
Your oral health is extremely important to your overall well-being. Problems that originate in your mouth can have an effect on your entire body, sometimes leading to cancer, stroke, or heart disease. Even problems that remain in the mouth, such as tooth loss or persistent bad breath, can have significant negative effects on your well-being and self-confidence.
At BLUSH Dental Studio, we offer several preventative dental services to help you preserve your smile, including:
- Routine Dental Check-ups & Cleanings
- Low Radiation Digital X-rays & Panoramic X-rays
- Oral Cancer Screenings
- Fluoride Treatments
- Dental Sealants
- Custom Fit Athletic Mouthguards & Nightguards
We encourage you to contact us today to learn more about our preventative dental services and continue preserving your beautiful smile.
Routine Dental Check-ups & Cleanings
Routine dental check-ups give us the opportunity to continually evaluate your oral health and get a quick jump on any potential problems. These visits also allow us to educate you and your family on the benefits of proper oral hygiene. Topics such as proper brushing and flossing techniques, as well as nutrition, are covered by our knowledgeable team, as we believe educated patients make better oral health decisions. We recommend routine dental check-ups every six months.
During your routine dental check-up, our doctors will perform a comprehensive oral examination, including the following:
- Low Radiation Digital X-rays of your Mouth, Teeth & Jaw (as needed)
- Full Mouth Examination Of Your Teeth
- Periodontal (Gum) Examination
- Oral Cancer Screening
- Aesthetic Evaluation
- Professional Dental Cleaning (for healthy teeth and gums)
For patients with healthy teeth and gums, a routine professional dental cleaning usually involves two simple steps:
- Scaling: This procedure involves removing tartar deposits from the teeth.
- Polishing: This step helps remove minor stains on the enamel and gives teeth a smooth surface that is less likely to attract plaque and oral bacteria.
Most patients find the professional dental cleaning process refreshing and easy to tolerate. However, patients with receding or sensitive gums may feel a slight amount of discomfort. If at any time you feel uncomfortable, let our team know, and we can take measures to alleviate your discomfort, such as applying a topical numbing gel so that you do not feel the sensations of scaling and polishing. Taking these measures can help you feel at ease during the cleaning procedure.
Low Radiation Digital X-rays & Panoramic X-rays
Digital X-rays are a fast and comfortable tool we use to assess your oral health and dental needs.
They emit 90% less radiation than conventional X-rays, use small, smooth sensors instead of sharp pieces of X-ray film, and transmit the images directly to our computer screen and in-room monitors in seconds. With no lengthy chemical processing required, they’re a smart choice for your smile and our environment!
We also utilize digital panoramic X-rays, which help us visualize your entire mouth instead of isolating selected areas. This full view is especially helpful for complex and surgical procedures such as wisdom teeth removal. During your evaluation, if we discover you have an impacted wisdom tooth that needs removal, we may refer you to our trusted oral surgery partners for a wisdom tooth extraction. Learn more about X-rays.
Oral Cancer Screenings
According to research conducted by the American Cancer Society, more than 30,000 cases of oral cancer are diagnosed each year, while more than 7,000 of these cases result in death. The good news is that oral cancer can be easily diagnosed during routine oral cancer screenings and effectively treated when caught in its earliest stages. We take a very proactive approach by conducting thorough oral cancer screenings during our comprehensive examinations.
During your oral cancer screening, Dr. Carter will discuss your health history and complete a full examination of your entire mouth, visually inspecting every area for signs of cancerous or pre-cancerous tissue. She will also palpate (examine by touch) the jaw and neck area to check for abnormalities which are often better felt than seen. If any abnormalities are found, you may be referred to a specialist for further examination and testing.
In between dental visits, it’s important to be aware of the following signs and symptoms and contact us if they do not disappear after two weeks.
The symptoms of mouth or throat cancer can include:
- a sore or irritation that doesn’t go away
- red or white patches
- pain, tenderness, or numbness in mouth or lips
- a lump, thickening, rough spot, crust, or small eroded area
- difficulty chewing, swallowing, speaking, or moving your tongue or jaw
- a change in the way your teeth fit together when you close your mouth
Fluoride Treatments
Over time, plaque wears away tooth enamel. This process is known as “demineralization.” Fluoride, a naturally-occurring mineral, promotes remineralization of tooth enamel, strengthening the teeth and protecting them against decay. Fluoride has also been shown to help reverse tooth decay in its early stages. Children with newly-erupted teeth (especially permanent teeth) have the most to gain from fluoride treatments, but nearly everyone should make sure their teeth come in contact with fluoride. The safest and easiest way to do this is to use fluoride toothpaste. We also offer a number of gels, rinses, and in-office fluoride treatments to safely increase preventative fluoride exposure. Learn more about Fluoride Treatments.
Dental Sealants
Did you know that toothbrushes cannot always reach down into the deepest grooves of teeth? Dental sealants help solve this problem by filling in grooves on the chewing surfaces of your back teeth. This is where food particles settle, which is a leading cause of cavities in the premolar and molar teeth. The dental sealant application is a fast and safe preventative measure that can effectively protect teeth for a number of years. Learn more about Dental Sealants.
Custom Fit Athletic Mouthguards & Nightguards
Losing or damaging teeth due to sports injuries can be avoided through the use of protective dental mouthguards. We can create a custom-fit soft plastic mouthguard to protect your teeth, gums, lips, and cheeks from sports-related injuries. Athletic mouthguards can even help prevent concussions and other serious injuries to the face, jaw, and head.
Have you been told, or do you suspect, that you grind your teeth at night? If so, you may be suffering from a condition called bruxism, which is not only harmful to your teeth but may also cause additional problems like jaw pain and headaches. Let us help you protect your teeth from the effects of teeth grinding with a custom-fit nightguard. This soft plastic guard is worn at night while you sleep, covering and protecting your teeth from grinding. Nightguards have also been shown to relieve jaw pain and headaches associated with grinding.
We offer our patients these custom-fit mouthguards because of their ability to best protect your teeth in a comfortable, minimally invasive way. Learn more about Mouthguards.
Dr. Carter is a Licensed Dentist in the State of Georgia and a member of the American Dental Association, Georgia Dental Association, North Georgia Dental Society, Georgia Dental Society, Hinman Dental Society, and Honorary Society of Dental Volunteers.
Dr. Kim is a Licensed Dentist in the State of Georgia and a member of the American Dental Association, Academy of General Dentistry, Georgia Dental Association, Alabama Dental Association, and Hinman Dental Society. She loves being able to help her patients achieve their dental goals.
