Preventive Dentistry – Lincoln, NE
Comprehensive Cavity Protection
Life is busier than ever these days for every single member of the family, and the last thing anyone has time for is getting a dental problem fixed. Rather than waiting for something to pop up, the team at South Ridge Dental takes a proactive approach to dental care by providing a wide array of preventive dental services. With them, we can make sure that your smile stays strong, healthy, and cavity-free year after year. To schedule you or your child’s next appointment for preventive dentistry in Lincoln, NE, contact us today.
Why Choose South Ridge Dental for Preventive Dentistry?
- Family-owned dental office that serves patients of all ages
- Treatment personalized for every single smile
- Strive to stop problems before they even start
Dental Checkups & Teeth Cleanings
Whether someone is 3 or 103, we recommend that they should receive at least two checkups and cleanings each year, or about one every 6 months. At these appointments, our team won’t only polish your teeth and remove harmful plaque, but we’ll also check you for any minor dental decay or damage that could cause bigger trouble down the line. By regularly coming to see us, we can take care of any minor issues as early as possible and help you better preserve your natural teeth.
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Dental Sealants
The back teeth, with their wide and deeply grooved surfaces, are the most vulnerable to developing cavities because they can be quite difficult to adequately clean, particularly for children who are still learning to brush. Fortunately, we can coat these teeth in a thin, clear layer of composite resin that will prevent any plaque, bacteria, or food particles from settling on the enamel. Sealants only take minutes to apply, and they can provide up to a decade of cavity protection afterward.
Nightguards for Teeth Grinding or Clenching (Bruxism)
If waking up in the morning with a sore jaw or dull headache is common for you, then you may be suffering from bruxism, or nocturnal teeth grinding. This exposes the teeth to an extraordinary amount of force that can easily damage the enamel and any dental restorations if left untreated. To help patients in need, we can give them an appliance to wear to bed called a nightguard. Small and custom-fitted for every smile, it prevents the teeth from coming together by placing a thin barrier between them.
Oral Cancer Screenings
The earliest signs of oral cancer are very easy to miss, but nothing gets past our trained eyes. That’s why, to make sure our patients are never caught off guard by this disease, we perform an oral cancer screening at every routine checkup. We’ll examine your mouth for any suspicious growths or sores, and if necessary, we can organize a biopsy as well. With this approach, patients are able to get treatment as soon as possible, drastically increasing their chances for a successful recovery.
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Fluoride Treatment
Believe it or not, dentists didn’t always know fluoride was beneficial to the teeth. It was accidentally discovered back in the early 1900s when children in a small town began showing up to the dentist with incredibly healthy teeth as the result of drinking from a nearby water supply that was naturally rich in the mineral. Today, in addition to being found in a variety of foods and used as an additive in many municipal water supplies, fluoride treatment in Lincoln is offered by your dentist to strengthen your teeth and reduce your risk of cavities by up to 60 percent.
What is Fluoride?
Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral that can be found in a variety of water sources including rain, lakes, and creeks. It is also found in many fresh, delicious vegetables and oral hygiene products like mouthwashes and toothpaste. Small amounts of this mighty mineral are also added to the public water supply in communities around the world.
Although it can be harmful in extremely large doses, the amount you’ll find in most toothpaste and tap water doesn’t even come close to those levels. Small children who accidentally swallow or ingest toothpaste may experience minor indigestion or a stomachache but typically do not suffer from any long-term effects unless they’re regularly eating entire tubes of toothpaste.
How Does Fluoride Treatment Work?
During your routine dental checkup and cleaning, your dentist will apply a topical application of fluoride such as a varnish, gel, or foam. In some cases, they may come in fun flavors to make them more appealing to kids (and some adults, too!).
For the next 30 to 60 minutes, the fluoride will begin remineralizing you or your child’s teeth by bonding minerals like calcium and phosphate to them to reverse the beginnings of tooth decay. Please understand that fluoride cannot repair more severe damage like chips, cracks, or pre-existing cavities.
Following your treatment, you’ll need to wait a bit to eat or drink so the fluoride can finish absorbing. Your dentist will tell you how long to hold off before your teeth are ready to be used again. Once your treatment is completed, you can enjoy a full diet, and all the tooth saving benefits of this amazing mineral.
Who Benefits from Fluoride Treatment?
Fluoride is typically most beneficial for children, as they usually aren’t as good at taking care of their teeth as they should be, and their teeth are more susceptible to cavities due to thinner enamel. Fluoride simply provides patients with an added boost of protection to help combat cavities and decay.
Adults are welcome to get fluoride treatment too, especially if they have special needs which make it difficult to brush and floss thoroughly, medical conditions that may increase their risk of cavities, or tooth sensitivity due to weakened enamel.
Children’s Dentistry
We’re happy to treat every member of your family all under one roof, including any growing smiles you might have at home. We’re able to help children of all ages, from toddlers to teenagers, and we always go the extra mile to ensure that our younger patients feel comfortable in our dental office. No matter what your child needs to enjoy a lifetime of healthy smiles, you can trust that we provide it.
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Gum disease Treatment
Without consistent brushing and flossing, not only can a patient develop cavities, but a serious oral infection called periodontal disease as well. This is the result of plaque and bacteria building up along the gum line, causing inflammation in the soft tissues of the mouth. This can spell big trouble for a person’s oral health without treatment, and it’s even the #1 cause of adult tooth loss in the US! To help patients dealing with periodontal disease, we can perform a special deep cleaning that is specifically designed to remove harmful bacteria from the gums and protect the mouth as a whole.
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Nitrous Oxide Sedation Dentistry
It’s very common for patients of all ages to feel a little nervous about going to the dentist, and if this includes you, know that you’ll never be judged at South Ridge Dental. Your comfort is very important to us, so if you need a little extra help to relax in the dental chair, we can provide you with nitrous oxide sedation. All a patient has to do is inhale this colorless, odorless gas to make any dental anxiety quickly melt away. It’s safe, effective, and so gentle that even small children can benefit from it.
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TMJ Therapy
If you move your jaw from side to side, you’ll feel your TMJ or temporomandibular joint. These small hinges located right below your ears are important to your ability to speak and eat, but sometimes, they can develop dysfunction due to inflammation, injury, or misalignment. This can lead to symptoms like chronic pain in the jaw, face, and head, but with a custom-made oral appliance called an occlusal splint, we can help patients improve their oral function and get out of pain at the same time.