Preventative Dental Care

We typically recommend that healthy dental patients visit our office every six months for regular check-ups and cleanings. For patients with special treatment needs, we may recommend more frequent visits to ensure optimal dental health.

At your first appointment, we will perform a comprehensive dental exam that includes a visual examination, charting of your teeth, periodontal probing, and diagnosis and treatment recommendations to fit your personal needs.

In addition, the dentist will order and examine x-rays of your mouth.  These digital images will help establish a baseline of your dental health, as well as identify potential problem areas not visible during a visual examination of your teeth. The digital x-rays include a panoramic view and bitewing x-rays that allow the densits to evaluate and diagnose your unique dental needs and treatment.

Professional Dental Hygiene

Your regularly scheduled visits to Woodburn Community Dental are an important part of your dental health to prevent gum disease and cavities and to keep your smile healthy. A regular cleaning includes the removal of plaque, calculus and stains from teeth using ultrasonic and hand instruments. Daily brushing and flossing will keep dental plaque and calculus to a minimum but a professional cleaning with our registered dental hygienist will remove calculus and places that your toothbrush and floss may have missed. A fluoride treatment can also be applied to strenghten the enamel.

At-Home Dental Hygiene

Adults over the age of 35 lose more teeth to gum disease than from cavities. Three out of four adults are affected at some time in their lives by gum disease (also known as periodontal disease). The best way to prevent cavities and gum disease is with good brushing and flossing techniques performed daily in conjunction with regular dental visits to our office for check ups and cleanings.

We believe that instructing patients in proper at-home dental hygiene is critical to maintaining optimal oral health and a healthy smile. The Woodburn Community Dental team will help guide you in all aspects of dental home care including proper brushing and flossing techniques.

Fluoride strengthens the tooth by adding fluoride atoms to the crystal structure of the enamel. Fluoride replaces those minerals in the tooth structure lost by decay, slowing down or stopping the cavity process. Lastly, fluoride helps inhibit cavity-causing bacteria.

Sealants protect the naturally occurring pits and grooves of your teeth from decay. Woodburn Community Dental’s team can perform this simple procedure in which a plastic resin is placed in these pits and grooves effectively sealing them from plaque bacteria. Easy to apply, sealants take only a few minutes and last several years before requiring replacement.

Teeth grinding, also known as bruxism, can cause a variety of dental problems. Symptoms related to teeth grinding include jaw pain, ear aches, neck aches, headaches, and sensitive teeth. Teeth grinding can have serious effects, causing broken, chipped or cracked teeth.

If you become aware that you grind your teeth while asleep, we can construct a custom fitting night guard for your teeth. A simple impression of your top and bottom teeth will be needed, and we will take special care to ensure that your night guard fits perfectly and is adjusted for maximum protection.