Want to know the secret to a beautiful smile? Good dental habits. You're already making a smart choice by visiting a dentist at least twice a year. When you need a routine teeth cleaning, dental exam or oral cancer screening in Keokuk, IA or Quincy, IL, come to Buffalo Prairie Dental. We'll help you catch minor issues before they become serious problems. Whether you're a new patient or a current one, you should contact us today to schedule your next dental exam.
Visiting a dentist for routine teeth cleaning is just one way to maintain good oral health. Additionally, you should routinely:
We'll give you more tips when you schedule your dental exam. Call one of our offices in Quincy, IL or Keokuk, IA now to make an appointment.
Routine Dental Checkups
Routine dental checkups are vital to good oral hygiene and are the best way to detect problems at their earliest stages. Early detection and treatment saves unnecessary discomfort, time and money.
The Academy of General Dentistry recommends checkups twice a year. Oral hygiene needs change with age and the condition of your teeth and gums. Our dental hygienists at Buffalo Prairie Dental may recommend a checkup schedule that is more or less frequent than twice a year.
Your dental checkup includes:
During a visual exam, your dentist will use an intraoral camera with sophisticated magnification and lighting to see all surface areas inside your mouth. You will then be able to sit side by side with us to look at those photographs on the computer monitor to discuss various treatment options.
Your dental team looks not only for cracked and decayed teeth, but also for growths and sores on the roof and floor of your mouth, tongue, lips, gums, and the mucous membranes that line your cheeks and gums. Then your dental team will check the lymph nodes of your head, jaw and neck for pain, tenderness and flexibility.
Digital X-rays: Digital X-rays detect dental problems that cannot be found during a visual exam. We use Digital X-rays that provide instant results and emit 90 percent less radiation than the old traditional X-rays taken years ago. Dr. KJ Sturhahn and your hygienist will determine how often you need to have Digital X-rays based on your dental history and needs.
Healthy teeth require healthy gums. A gingival pocket exam determines the presence or risk of gum (periodontal) disease. A gingival pocket is the space between your tooth and gum where you get popcorn kernels caught. This pocket should only be 2 or 3 mm deep and pockets deeper than that may indicate the presence of gum disease requiring more involved treatment.
Your teeth are cleaned using special instruments to remove plaque from above and below the gumline. Afterwards, your teeth are polished. Tooth polishing makes your teeth look and feel great. It also smoothes tooth surfaces so plaque is less likely to accumulate.
The key to healthy teeth and gums is keeping plaque and food decay from building up in your mouth. Plaque and food debris attract harmful bacteria that cause cavities, gum disease and persistent bad breath.
Your tongue attracts bacteria, too. During the normal process of eating, tiny fragments of food collect on your tongue. As these fragments break down, bacteria create a filmy white coating on the top of your tongue.
Practice the four-step routine to keep plaque and harmful bacteria from building up in your mouth.
Easy Four-Step Routine
To keep your teeth and gums healthy:
When you practice good oral hygiene, you will:
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that a child's first visit to the dentist be around age three unless any of these dental health risk factors exist:
When your child's teeth begin to erupt, wipe them daily with a moist washcloth to remove tooth plaque.
As your child grows more teeth, use a soft child's toothbrush with non-fluoride toothpaste (like Baby OraGel) until your child is able to spit out the toothpaste.
When your child is ready to use fluoridated toothpaste, use only a small pea-size amount on the toothbrush. Swallowing too much fluoridated toothpaste can lead to staining of children's teeth (dental fluorosis).
It's never too early to learn how to care for your teeth and gums.
Locations
Quincy
2801 Broadway Suite 400
Quincy, IL 62301
(217) 224-7645
Keokuk
3327 Main St. Suite B
Keokuk, IA 52632
(319) 524-8811
Surgery & Sedation Center
126 N 30th Street Suite 102
Quincy, IL 62301
(217) 228-3384
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