Preventative Dentistry
Preventative dental care covers several routine procedures that we offer daily! These services include oral hygiene instruction, comprehensive exams completed by our experienced Metro Detroit dentists, for mild to advanced periodontal disease, routine cleanings, sealants, oral cancer screenings, and airway .
Our dentists are dedicated to helping patients maintain good overall health for life by providing preventative dentistry services and educating our patients on the link between oral health and body health. Our procedures are performed right in our dental office located in either Shelby or Macomb Township, MI.
Our primary goal is simple: To prevent your need for extensive restorative or cosmetic dental procedures. Through regular maintenance, our local family dentists can help you prevent poor oral health due to decay and disease. In other words, problems that can negatively affect your overall health and well-being.
Maintaining good oral hygiene remains one of the most important things you can do for your teeth and gums. Healthy teeth and gums help you to not only look and feel good, but they allow you to eat and speak properly. Our caring and professional staff stresses daily oral care, such as proper brushing and flossing, to prevent more serious problems from developing.
Between regular visits to one of our full-service dental offices, you can:
- Brush thoroughly twice a day and floss daily
- Eat a balanced diet and limit snacks between meals
- Use dental products that contain fluoride, including toothpaste
- Rinse with a fluoride mouth rinse if advised by our dentists
- Make sure that children under the age of 12 drink fluoridated water
- Visit our dentists regularly for professional cleanings and exams
- Replace your toothbrush every 3-4 months as it becomes worn/frayed
Dental Cleanings
The best way to prevent excessive plaque buildup is to schedule a professional teeth cleaning with our dentists in Shelby and Macomb Township, MI, every 6 months. Plaque that is left untreated can lead to unhealthy gums and tooth decay. A routine dental cleaning lasts about one hour and will usually include scaling and polishing.
Our professional cleanings will help you to preserve your teeth and gums. While may seem uncomfortable, it’s much less painful than a root canal or tooth extraction. If you have not yet scheduled your next professional cleaning, contact us today and avoid the cost and discomfort of extensive dental restorations.
Gum Disease Treatments
The gums, ligaments, and jawbone form the foundation for your teeth. These structures as a whole are also called the periodontium and when it’s not healthy, it jeopardizes the teeth just as a bad foundation would threaten the stability of a house.
Some possible signs of periodontal disease include gums that are red and bleed easily, persistent bad breath, gums that are pulled away from the tooth, loose teeth, and changes in the position or bite of the teeth. With proper treatments, however, it may be possible to return gum tissue to a healthy state. If gum disease is not treated at the first sign of a problem and becomes too severe, it may need to be treated through surgery or extraction.
What Is Arestin®?
is a special antibiotic treatment that helps fight gum disease. After your deep dental cleaning (called scaling and root planing), we may place Arestin directly into the infected areas of your gums—these are called pockets where bacteria like to hide.
How Does It Work?
Arestin comes as a tiny powder that’s painlessly placed between your tooth and gum. It releases medicine slowly over about a week, helping to kill the bacteria that cause gum infections.
Why Do I Need It?
Even after a deep cleaning, some bacteria may still be left behind. Arestin gives your gums extra help to heal better and faster, reducing swelling, bleeding, and the depth of the pockets, so your mouth stays healthier long-term.
After treatment, it’s important that you:
- Don’t floss the treated area for about 10 days.
- Avoid crunchy or sticky foods for a week.
- Keep brushing gently and follow any instructions our dental team gives you.
Oral Examinations
In order to maintain a healthy smile, it is important that our dentists perform comprehensive oral examinations. Using advanced dental technology, such as digital X-rays, we can effectively monitor the condition of your teeth and identify early signs of decay.
Comprehensive exams allow our professional staff to assess the condition of your gums and their position along with your teeth. Early detection of periodontal disease can save your smile. Our knowledgeable staff will work with you to develop an exam schedule that matches your oral health requirements.
Wellness Scans
A wellness scan is a quick, comfortable digital scan we do with our iTero® scanner to check
the overall health of your teeth and gums. No X-rays or gooey impressions needed!
What Does It Do?
In just a few minutes, the iTero scanner creates a 3D image of your mouth. From this, we can:
- Check for signs of gum recession
- Spot tooth wear from teeth grinding or clenching
- Monitor shifting teeth or bite changes over time
- Detect early signs of dental problems before they become serious
Why Is It Helpful?
- It’s non-invasive and radiation-free
- You get to see what we see—we’ll show you a clear, color image of your teeth and gums
- Helps us track changes over time, so we can catch and treat problems early
What Should I Expect?
You’ll simply sit back while we scan your teeth using a small handheld wand. The whole thing is quick, easy, and completely painless. Many patients say it’s even cool to watch!
Tooth Fillings
Dental fillings restore teeth damaged by decay back to their normal shape and function. By doing this, they also restore your oral health so you can smile with confidence.
If you have a tooth that requires a filling, one of our family dentists will remove the decayed material, clean the affected area, and then fill the cavity with a filling material. This filling will help to prevent further decay by closing off any cracks or spaces where bacteria can enter and damage the tooth.
Oral Cancer Screenings
In the United States, oral cancer kills more people each year than skin and cervical cancer combined. At our dental practice, each oral cancer screening is performed using visual inspection and manual palpation (physical touch using gloved hands). In addition, we have the latest technology in oral cancer detection.
Our oral cancer screening system helps our dentists visualize abnormalities in the mucosal tissues of your lips, mouth, and upper throat. An examination of this kind will allow our team to more accurately assess your overall oral health.
To ensure that your mouth is as healthy as possible, request an oral cancer exam during your next visit or contact us for more information.
Dental Sealants
Dental sealants are used as a preventative measure to help fill in narrow grooves on the chewing surface of a tooth that cannot be adequately cleaned by brushing. In many individuals, the tooth’s structure may contain several fine grooves or pits, which can accumulate plaque.
This is usually not caused by brushing improperly or infrequently, but simply because these fine grooves or pits may be too narrow to allow even one bristle inside for cleaning. Unfortunately, if not taken care of properly, these tiny grooves will develop into cavities over time. To prevent this, our dentists may brush a coating onto the tooth or teeth to seal the grooves and pits. This makes it possible to brush off all the plaque, keeping your teeth healthy and free from decay.
Request an Appointment Today
Our , would be more than happy to help you achieve better oral health. To request an appointment for preventative dental services, call one of our Ruffino and Whitford Cosmetic and Family Dentistry locations today. We hope we hear from you soon!