Preventive Dentistry in Green Hills
Prevention is the key to maintaining healthy smiles. As the famous saying goes – “The best defense is a good offense.” By protecting teeth from potential damage with regular preventive checkups and at-home hygiene, patients are more likely to keep their naturally healthy smiles for life. At Green Hills Dental Center, our goal is to work in partnership with patients in order to achieve and maintain the optimal level of oral health at any age or stage of dental development. Preventive dentistry includes regular checkups at our office, professional teeth cleanings, and a variety of other treatments that keep smiles whole and healthy. We welcome patients from Oak Hill, Vanderbilt, and surrounding neighborhoods to visit us.
Your First Visit to Green Hills Dental Center
If you’re ready to schedule your first visit with our team, we welcome you to our family, and look forward to seeing your smile in our Green Hills office soon! From the moment you walk through the doors, you’ll know you’re experiencing a different dental practice. From the relaxing glass of wine we offer while you wait to our friendly, attentive staff, we love providing every patient a unique and unparalleled dentistry experience. We take time to carefully complete new patient information and medical and dental histories. Then, we utilize state-of-the-art digital x-ray technology to give us a picture of the internal and external structures of your smile. Next, we provide a thorough tooth by tooth examination and screenings for tooth decay, gum disease, bruxism (teeth grinding and clenching), temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder, and oral cancer. One of our skilled hygienists thoroughly cleans even the hardest reach parts of your smile. Finally, our doctor takes the time to discuss your current oral health, smile goals, and create a custom treatment plan as unique as your smile.
Oral Hygiene & Professional Dental Cleanings
We love seeing our patients twice a year, and our knowledgeable dental hygienists offer thorough professional cleanings that remove bacteria, plaque, and tartar from the places regular brushing and flossing may miss. However, the other 363 days of the year, oral hygiene is up to you! That doesn’t mean we’re not here to help you make the most of your at-home tooth brushing and flossing routines. Our team is happy to demonstrate proper care methods, answer your questions, and make product recommendations. If you have concerns between appointments, don’t wait six months for your next visit. Give us a call! We’re happy to help when you need us.
Nightguards for Bruxism
If you frequently wake in the morning with a headache or jaw pain, you may have developed a condition known as bruxism, which refers to a condition in which you subconsciously grind your teeth together. Although this happens more frequently overnight, it can also become problematic during the day.
Fortunately, Dr. Kirby can provide a customized nightguard to protect your teeth from the potential consequences of constantly clenching. Continue reading to learn more about how our team can help reduce the symptoms of teeth grinding!
What is Bruxism?
You might think grinding your upper and lower teeth together is more annoying than problematic, but the truth is that bruxism can significantly affect your oral health. For example, it places additional pressure on your arches that can eventually cause worn-down, chipped, cracked, or otherwise damaged enamel.
This significantly increases the risk of additional dental concerns, such as tooth decay, gum disease, and physical injuries that typically require treatment to resolve. Over time, it can also contribute to shifting teeth, a bite misalignment, and TMJ (temporomandibular joint) aches or stiffness.
Customized vs. Store-Bought Nightguards
You might think that purchasing an over-the-counter mouthguard or nightguard will shield your grin, and it may help prevent a certain amount of wear and tear. However, store-bought oral appliances rely on one-size-fits-all options that don’t protect your teeth as effectively as a custom-fitted device.
Our team will make impressions of your teeth and gums and use them to create a one-of-a-kind nightguard that fits like a glove and cushions your upper and lower teeth to help prevent damage. It also helps shift your jaw into its ideal position to prevent airway obstruction and TMJ concerns.
The Process of Getting a Nightguard
Before our team can provide a customized nightguard to shield your teeth from the pressure of constantly grinding down, you must consult Dr. Kirby to ensure that this is the best way to meet your unique needs. Our team will also examine your mouth to treat any pre-existing concerns, such as cavities or gum disease, to preserve your oral health.
Once we’ve determined the extent of the wear and tear on your teeth, we may ask additional questions about your experience and symptoms before taking impressions to design your oral appliance. These scans and images are sent to a dental laboratory that uses them to begin creating your one-of-a-kind nightguard.
Our team will contact you for a final fitting once it arrives and make any necessary adjustments before providing instructions on wearing and caring for your new device.
The Benefits of Getting a Nightguard for Bruxism
There are several excellent reasons to get a nightguard to help reduce symptoms and consequences of bruxism, including:
- Preserve your teeth. Your appliance cushions your arches to help prevent wear and tear to your enamel.
- Alleviate jaw aches. It helps position you jaw correctly to reduce pressure placed on the joints, which allows them to rest and recover.
- Reduce tension. This treatment can also address headaches, neck pain, and other muscle tension caused by bruxism.
- Improve sleep. Teeth grinding can sometimes contribute to blocked airways that interrupt your nightly circadian cycles.
Caring for Your Nightguard
Bacteria in your mouth can form plaque on the surfaces of your nightguard while you sleep, increasing the risk of developing dental problems. Thankfully, you can help keep your oral appliance in great shape by:
- Rinse it regularly. Rinsing it before and after each use with room-temperature water helps remove unwanted germs and residue without warping the shape of the material.
- Let it dry. Leave it in its protective carrier case when you’re not wearing it so it can try effectively without being accidentally damaged.
- Store it carefully. Be sure to leave the case in a safe place where children, pets, and others who might not handle it very carefully cannot access it.
- Implement a routine. You should also brush your appliance after each use with a soft-bristle toothbrush and clear dish soap that won’t abrade the material.
Periodontal Therapy
More than 50% of US adults over 30 suffer from some level of periodontal (gum) disease, and periodontitis (advanced gum disease) is the leading cause of tooth loss for the same demographic. That’s why regular preventive screenings and periodontal charting are part of every six month checkup at our office. For those patients who develop periodontal disease, we offer a number of treatment options including:
- Non-surgical gum therapy
- More frequent professional teeth cleaning
- Laser gum decontamination
- Scaling – the removal of plaque, bacteria, and infected gum tissue
- Root planing – the smoothing of the root surfaces to prevent future buildup
- Antibiotics to prevent infection and the spread of bacteria
Pediatric Dental Care
We love working with little smiles. We may recommend dental sealants to protect developing smiles. Sealants are a clear, plastic coating applied to the surfaces of teeth where bacteria are most likely to buildup leading to decay. A liquid sealant is painted onto the surfaces of teeth and hardened in place. Sealants protect little smiles for as much as 10 years.
Oral Cancer Screenings
Each year, thousands of people lose their lives to oral cancer. Affecting individuals of all ages, both men and women, the only way to beat it is with early detection. Oral cancer screenings are part of our preventive dentistry services. As part of your checkup, Dr. Kirby will perform a thorough examination, looking for any signs that may be difficult to spot to the untrained eye. The sooner any abnormalities are caught, the greater the chances for successful treatment.