Preventative Dental Care
Initial Oral Examination
Regular checkups and x-rays are fundamental for the best possible oral health. As a premier Vancouver, WA family Dentist serving the Salmon Creek area, we recommend that each patient visit our office for regularly scheduled exams and teeth cleanings every six months. Visits may be scheduled more frequently as needed for those with specialized treatment needs.
Professional Dental Hygiene
Regularly scheduled visits to Salmon Creek Family Dental are an essential part of good dental health, preventing gum disease and keeping your smile healthy and bright!
Daily tooth brushing and flossing can help remove dental plaque and calculus, but there are places in your mouth that cannot be reached even with consistent daily dental care at home. A professional cleaning by one of our registered dental hygienists will remove plaque and calculus build-up in those hard-to-reach areas of your mouth.
At-Home Dental Hygiene
Consistent teeth brushing and flossing routines are the best ways to prevent cavities and periodontal disease throughout life’s stages.
Part of our dental practice at Salmon Creek Family Dental is to instruct our patients regarding at-home dental care in order to maintain the best oral health.
Dr. Nelson’s team will guide you in all features of at-home dental hygiene, including proper brushing and flossing techniques. If you need a dentist in Vancouver, WA, look no further.
Fluoride Treatment
Occuring naturally in food and water, fluoride is an essential mineral that strengthens teeth against plaque and bacteria. Your comprehensive treatment plan may include fluoride application during your appointment.
Dr. Nelson may decide to use fluoride for your dental health because it defends teeth against acid attacks from plaque, stops cavities from developing, and remineralizes teeth.
Tooth Sealants
Food particles and plaque collect in the grooves of your teeth that often cannot be reached by regular brushing and flossing. In these cases, sealants can be applied, effectively “sealing” the deep grooves and protecting tooth enamel from plaque and resulting decay.
Dr. Nelson can provide this simple procedure in one visit, in which a tooth-colored acrylic “coating” is painted onto the surface of the tooth. Generally, sealants take only a few minutes to apply, cause no pain, and can last for an extended amount of time before further treatment is needed.
Periodontal Disease & Scaling and Root Planing
Periodontal disease, also known as periodontitis or gum disease, indicates that the bone and gums around teeth have become infected. Irritation of the gums result from the bacteria found in plaque, at times turning gum tissue red and swollen, causing it to bleed easily. If the progression of periodontal disease remains untreated, the gums separate from the teeth, causing “pockets” to develop between the teeth and the gums along the gumline. The result is the deterioration of gum tissue and jawbone, leading to tooth loss.
Scaling and root planing is a treatment course to prevent the progression of periodontal disease. Reaching in between gums and teeth down to the roots, scaling and root planing helps gums close painful pockets that may have formed in the gum tissue around teeth. This procedure allows Dr. Nelson and a registered dental hygienist to provide a deeper cleaning between the compromised gums and teeth, preventing progression of periodontal disease.
Mouth Guards
A variety of dental problems are the result of teeth grinding, also known as bruxism. Symptoms can include sensitive teeth, jaw pain, headaches and ear or neck aches. Teeth grinding can have serious, long-term effects, such as broken, chipped or cracked teeth.
If you suspect that you grind your teeth during sleep, Dr. Nelson can help you discover whether or not a medical condition may be contributing to this habit.
Once teeth grinding has been diagnosed, Dr. Nelson can provide a custom fitted nightguard for your teeth from a simple impression of your top and bottom teeth. Dr. Nelson will take special care to ensure that your nightguard is adjusted to your unique needs and fits perfectly for maximum protection.