Disease therapy services we offer:
Deep Cleanings
If the pockets between the gums and teeth are too deep, a condition called periodontitis develops, where gums and the bones around teeth are chronically inflamed and under attack from bacteria. A detailed dental exam is needed to determine if this condition exists.
To treat periodontits, scaling and root planing may be needed, and involves deep cleaning of the teeth and gums. This deep cleaning process has two parts. Scaling is when our clinicians remove all the plaque and tartar (hardened plaque) above and below the gumline, making sure to clean all the way down to the bottom of the pocket. Root planing is the smoothing out of the surface texture of the roots to help the gums heal and reattach to the teeth. Scaling and root planing may take several visits to complete and may require a local anesthetic for patient comfort, or placement of antibiotics to promote proper gum regeneration. After a deep cleaning, gums also may be swollen, and feel tender and bleed for a week. Management of this disease can be a long-term process.
In addition to these advanced procedures, proper daily brushing and cleaning are important contributors to fighting periodontal disease.
cavities
Tooth decay (cavities) can be big or small. For small cavities, we may recommend minimally-invasive therapy to attempt to stop or reverse the cavity process without repairing the tooth decay. This may include tooth re-mineralization with special toothpastes, or treatment of cavities with silver diamine fluoride (SDF).
If cavities warrant repair, we may recommend white composite/resin fillings. Our dental team does not use mercury fillings. White fillings have zero risk of mercury neurotoxicity, and are visually pleasing. White fillings may be only partially covered by insurance plans.
If cavities are very large, or if teeth are compromised due to periodontal disease, simple extraction (pulling the tooth) may be the best treatment option to rid the body of the infected tooth.
other Advanced dental procedures
Some large cavities or problems may require treatment beyond what we can offer with our mobile equipment. Some advanced dental procedures, including some restorative dentistry (crown & bridge), endodontic therapy (root canals), oral surgery (tissue and bone surgery), and prosthodontics (dentures and implants), may be offered on a limited basis - however,we likely will facilitate referral of a patient to a traditional dental office for these types of advanced dental needs.