Helping our patients achieve and maintain their healthiest smile for life is our top priority at Compassionate Dental Care. That’s why we encourage every patient to take full advantage of the numerous general and preventive dentistry services we offer at our family-friendly Lake in the Hills, IL dental practice. From preventive checkups and cleanings to screening for oral cancer and placing dental sealants, visiting our office at least twice a year gives our skilled dentist and team the opportunity to partner with patients in keeping their smiles whole and healthy. Contact us to schedule your six month checkup today.
CHECKUPS & CLEANINGS
The foundation for any dental care plan should be twice a year preventive checkups and daily brushing and flossing. By taking just these simple steps, patients are able to significantly decrease their risk for most common oral health issues, and regular examinations allow us to diagnose and treat those that aren’t preventable in the earliest stages. Each dental checkup in our Lake in the Hills dental practice includes the following four components:
- Diagnostics – During this stage of treatment, we carefully gather vital information to help us understand patients’ oral health including dental and medical history, x-rays, and intraoral photos
- Examination – The dentist carefully reviews each tooth and the surrounding soft tissue looking for signs of the most common oral health issues including tooth decay, gum disease, bruxism (teeth grinding and clenching), temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunction, and oral cancer
- Cleaning – The hygienist systematically removes plaque and tartar from even the hardest to access parts of teeth that may be missed by daily at-home care
- Consultation – Finally, the patient sits down one on one with the doctor to discuss any concerns that were revealed during their appointment, the doctor is happy to answer patient questions, and then, dentist and patient work together to develop a treatment plan to keep smiles whole and healthy going forward
DENTAL SEALANTS
Dental sealants are one of the quickest and most effective means of protecting teeth between dentist visits. Sealants are a thin, clear coating of plastic that fills deep crevices and pits in teeth where bacteria may flourish, but because these areas are difficult to access with a toothbrush or floss, this bacteria continues to accumulate leading to plaque and tartar buildup and increased potential for tooth decay and gum disease. Dental sealants fill in these hard to clean areas and create a barrier protecting teeth from decay. We are happy to apply dental sealants as part of any six month checkup, and with proper care, they provide up to ten years of protection for smiles.
NIGHTGUARDS FOR TMJ/BRUXISM THERAPY
While TMJ dysfunction and bruxism may have different causes and side effects, we are often able to offer the same simple solution to restore and protect oral health for patients struggling with either condition. Nightguards offer protection for patients who grind and clench their teeth at night by creating a solid barrier between the rows of teeth and preventing the potential chips, cracks, and general wear associated with bruxism. Additionally, the custom crafted mouthguards we create position the jaw in its ideal resting place which reduces the amount of nighttime grinding and clenching and relieves stress on the jaw that may contribute to TMJ dysfunction.
ORAL CANCER SCREENINGS
Oral cancer claims one life every hour in the US alone, and recent studies reveal that those patients diagnosed with oral cancer annually rarely go on to live five years after diagnosis. Still, many of our patients believe they do not need to be screened for oral cancer because they don’t use tobacco products. While there are a number of behaviors that put patients at greater risk for oral cancer, more than 25% of patients diagnosed engage in none of these activities. With early diagnosis and treatment, oral cancer responds well to treatments, and most patients are able to make a full recovery. That’s why we incorporate screening for oral cancer into every patient examination.
SLEEP APNEA TREATMENT
Sleep apnea, the cessation of breathing for ten or more seconds at a time throughout the night, effects millions of US adults, and while accurate diagnosis and treatment of this sleep disorder improves each years, there are still many patients who are not getting enough quality to sleep to function. What most patients don’t realize is that a dentist can help. Dentists have years of education and experience understanding the inner workings of the craniofacial region including patients’ ability to breathe easily. We offer oral appliance therapy as a comfortable treatment alternative to traditional CPAP systems, and are happy to discuss sleep apnea diagnosis and treatment with you during your next visit.
FLUORIDE TREATMENT
As teeth develop, ingested fluoride is essential to produce strong tooth enamel, but once teeth erupt from the gum line, the fluoride consumed in drinking water and a variety of foods has very little impact on the strength of teeth. Topical fluoride found in toothpastes and mouthwashes offers most patients an adequate amount of the nutrient to keep tooth enamel strong and free from weak spots or decay, but for younger patients and adults who are more prone to tooth decay, professional-grade topical fluoride treatments during each checkup may be beneficial.
CHILDREN’S DENTISTRY
At Compassionate Dental Care, we are happy to treat whole families from Lake in the Hills, Carpentersville, and surrounding communities. We offer a variety of treatments specifically geared toward helping kids develop strong, healthy teeth and keep them for life, including dental sealants and fluoride treatments. We’re happy to work with children to learn the best ways to brush and floss, and are always happy to answer questions about other oral health concerns unique to developing smiles. Our family-friendly practice welcomes patients of all ages, and offers each patient the same superior level of dental care.
DIGITAL X-RAYS
Traditional x-rays took a great deal of time to capture and develop, exposed patients to high levels of radiation, were difficult to view, store, and share, and produced a low-resolution image of the inner workings of patients’ smiles. Digital x-rays offer our team a vastly superior alternative. We are able to capture higher quality images more quickly which exposes patients to less radiation. These scans are immediately viewable on chairside computer monitors. No need to develop the images with hazardous chemicals, view them on specialized light boards, or store and transport physical images. With the click of a button we’re able to view, enhance, or share high-definition x-rays with patients, insurance providers, or specialists.
ATHLETIC SPORTSGUARDS
Most patients know better than to play football without a helmet or hockey without protective gear, but when it comes to protecting their smiles, patients are surprisingly less consistent. For patients under the age of 25, sports related injuries are the leading cause of tooth loss, and more than 20% of sports injuries involve the face. It’s essential that patients wear a comfortable, effective sportsguard during any athletic activity where their smile may come in contact with other players, sports equipment, or hard surfaces. Ask about our custom crafted athletic mouthguards during your next checkup.
