Re-Care (Hygiene) Appointments
To help patients maintain and monitor their oral health, we recommend regular hygiene or “re-care” visits. At this important visit, we will clean your teeth professionally by removing plaque, tartar and stain that has built up. We will take x-rays, when needed, to monitor the bone support around each tooth and make sure that your existing restorations are strong and decay free. Depending on each patient’s individual oral health, the interval between re-care visits will be customized for each patient and may be every 3 months, 4 months or 6 months.
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Dental X-rays
Dental radiographs (X-rays) are an invaluable tool. They allow Dr. Burks to determine what is happening to the tooth below the gum line and in between the teeth, where we cannot see. The following conditions can only be fully diagnosed with the use of radiographs: cysts and tumors, periodontal disease and bone loss, decay, abscesses, and impacted teeth. In order to properly care for our patients, we only take necessary radiographs as recommended by the American Dental Association and each patient’s individual needs.
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Composite Resin Fillings
Decay is a widespread epidemic in America today. The earlier decay is detected, the smaller the restoration that is needed to restore the tooth. This means that the more tooth structure that remains, the stronger the tooth. Smaller restorations mean stronger teeth and fewer problems as your teeth age. Regular hygiene visits help us detect small problems early on.
Dr Burks restores our patient's teeth with Compositre Resin fillings. This durable material has many advantages to the old amalgam "mercury" fillings. They not only look like the natural tooth, they actually make the tooth stronger as the material acutally bonds to the structure of the tooth. They do not expand and contract like the old metal amalgam fillings that can actually cause the teeth to fracture. Composite Resin fillings can provide an esthetic, long-lasting alternative to the old amalgam fillings.
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Preventive Resin Restorations
The grooves and depressions that form the chewing surfaces of the back teeth are extremely difficult (if not impossible) to clean of bacteria and food. As the bacteria reacts with the food, acids form and break down the tooth enamel, causing cavities. Recent studies indicate that 88 percent of total cavities in American school children are caused this way.
Preventive resin restorations protect these susceptible areas by sealing the grooves and depressions, preventing bacteria and food particles from residing in these areas. The material used is a resin typically applied to the back teeth, molars and premolars and areas prone to cavities. It lasts for several years but needs to be checked during regular appointments.
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Fluoride
Fluoride is a substance that helps teeth become stronger and resistant to decay. Regularly drinking water treated with fluoride and brushing and flossing regularly ensures significantly lower cavities. Dentists can evaluate the level of fluoride in a primary drinking water source and recommend fluoride supplements (usually in tablets or drops), if necessary.
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