Preventative Dentistry

We express the importance of good oral hygiene to our patients at every age. It’s important to practice good dental habits from an early age to prevent costly dental procedures in the future.

Regular preventative care is essential in finding and diagnosing certain diseases and to prevent other issues, like cavities. It is important to brush at least twice a day and floss once a day in between regular visits to keep your mouth, gums, and teeth healthy.

Routine visits with Advanced Dental Associates of East Stroudsburg are essential in finding oral problems and preventing tooth decay. Parents should encourage their children from a young age how to take proper care of their teeth and the importance of good oral hygiene. Just like adults, children should see the doctor regularly. The earlier your child begins practicing preventative dentistry with Advanced Dental Associates of East Stroudsburg, the healthier their permanent teeth will be.

Preventive Prophylaxis

Preventative Prophylaxis is a preventative oral treatment that assess your teeth and gums to check their overall health. The treatment includes a comprehensive professional teeth cleaning to remove tartar and other bacteria from stubborn places. The assessment also can also identify possible gum disease.

We use the most cutting-edge dental technology to scale, polish and debride your teeth if necessary. Our staff highly encourages our clients to have their teeth professionally cleaned once every three to six months.

Dental Sealants

A dental sealant is a thin invisible plastic coating placed on the back of your teeth where you chew your food. The sealant acts like a shield and protects it from collecting germs or food particles that cause tooth decay.

We recommend dental sealants to children and teenagers who get cavities at a young age to keep other baby teeth or new permanent molars from decaying. This preventative care option is fast, easy, and painless.

The process is simple. First, we clean the tooth with a flavorless polish then a gel and then the sealant material is applied onto your tooth for a few seconds. We wash then gel off then merely paint the sealant on the tooth. As a finishing touch, we shine a special light on it to help the sealant harden. At Advanced Dental Associates of East Stroudsburg, we quickly and conveniently help protect your teeth for several years.

Fluoride Treatments

Fluoride is a natural mineral found in food and water. Fluoride treatments are an option to help prevent tooth decay and protect tooth enamel. We use specific fluoride treatments that have just enough fluoride to fight tooth decay and strengthen enamel, but not enough to harm your tooth or overall health.

Root Canal Therapy

Root canal therapy or endodontic treatments are usually done is one or two appointments. Our highly skilled staff at Advanced Dental Associates of East Stroudsburg evaluate and radiograph the problemed tooth. We administer a local anesthetic once your tooth is numb the surrounding area is protected from saliva. We make an opening in the crown or top of the tooth and clean the infection in the pulp chamber and root canals of the lower half of the tooth.

Once the area is cleaned the root canals are filled with biocompatible material. A gutta percha is combined with an adhesive cement to fully seal the root canal. A temporary filling is often used to close the opening until a permanent crown is put on. This helps protect and restore the tooth to full functionality. A post can be placed inside the tooth if it needs a stronger structure.

TMJ

TMJ refers to your temporomandibular joint located in your jaw joint that connects the lower jaw (mandible) to your skull. Issues associated with the joint, known as TMD or temporomandibular disorder are quite common among Americans and affects more women than men.

The most common cause of TMD is from stress. Stress prompts an individual to unknowingly clench their teeth together. This generally occurs at night, however, many people do it throughout the day without even noticing.

Overtime the pressure from clenching causes the cartilage in your joint to break down. It also over-stimulates facial muscles that help you open and close your mouth. Signs of TMD include pain and cracking noises when you open your mouth. Other symptoms include headaches and receding gums. TMD is treated using a night guard. The night guard prevents an individual from putting as much pressure on their TMJ. It is worn at night while you sleep.

Oral Cancer Screening

Early detection is most effective way to treat any form of cancer. We are able to detect and diagnose oral cancer with regular screenings. We aim to find oral, neck, and head cancers as soon as we can. We check for oral cancer when individuals have symptoms of bleeding, pain, dysphagia or otalgia. We also screen for oral cancer at regular checkups. An exam is done in as little as five short minutes. This fast exam is essential in preventing, treating, and curing early stages of oral cancer.

Roughly 37,000 Americans are diagnosed with oral cancer every year. Nearly 43% of those individuals won’t make it past five years of their diagnosis date. It’s not that oral cancer has a low survival rate because it’s hard to diagnose, but because it’s diagnosed in late stages, after it’s metastasized. It is something people simply don’t check for even though it is fast and easy.

Routine checkups are crucial in early detection of oral cancer. We screen for cancer whenever you get your teeth cleaned or come in for an exam. If you notice any usual changes in between visits, you should come see us at Advanced Dental Associates of East Stroudsburg to ensure everything looking and functioning properly.