Preventive Dentistry – Guilderland, NY
Protecting Your Smile & Much More
With preventive dentistry, we cannot only protect you and your loved ones from cavities and gum disease, but we can also seriously lower your risk for general health issues, including diabetes and heart disease. Oral and overall health are closely connected, and with just two checkups and cleanings each year, Dr. Oshins can ensure your smile and your body stay strong and healthy in the years to come. To schedule your next appointment at Oshins of Smiles, contact us today for preventive dentistry in Guilderland, NY.
Why Choose Oshins of Smiles for Preventive Dentistry?
- Full-Body Approach to Dentistry
- Comprehensive Checkups That Use Microscopes
- Able to Help Patients of All Ages
Dental Checkups & Cleanings
Most patients need to attend a dental checkup in Guilderland every six months. During these visits, Dr. Oshins won’t just look for signs of tooth decay, but also indications of gum disease, teeth grinding, oral cancer, and much more. Often, full-body ailments show their initial signs in the mouth, and by pointing them out, Dr. Oshins can enable a patient to get treatment as early as possible. Of course, we’ll also clean your teeth as part of your routine appointments so that your smile remains bright and confident as well as healthy!
Why Are Regular Dental Checkups & Cleanings Important?
You might be wondering why we recommend two checkups and cleanings a year even if your mouth feels perfectly fine. While your teeth and gums may not be bothering you, the truth is that many oral health issues develop unnoticed, and they might not cause discomfort until they have reached the advanced stages. With regular exams, your dentist in Guilderland has the opportunity to detect cavities, gum infections, and other problems before they wreak serious havoc on your smile and eventually your overall health. Similarly, dental cleanings reduce the buildup of plaque, thereby lowering the risk of future issues.
What to Expect During a Dental Checkup
For the checkup portion of your visit, Dr. Oshins will thoroughly inspect each of your teeth as well as your gums and the other tissues in your mouth. He’ll also screen for oral cancer and take full-mouth X-rays to get a clear picture of your smile’s overall condition. Additionally, he’ll perform a head, neck, and jaw exam to make sure you’re not experiencing any bite alignment problems. After gathering all of this information, Dr. Oshins will review your medical history and current medications before creating a treatment plan to address any problems that he may have detected.
What to Expect During a Dental Cleaning
After your exam, one of our hygienists will provide a professional teeth cleaning in Guilderland. Even if you diligently brush and floss every day, you still need regular cleanings, as you’ll inevitably miss some spots in your at-home routine. Our team can remove the hardened plaque (called tartar or calculus) from these areas, reducing your risk of tooth decay and infection. Next, we’ll floss between the teeth to clear out any remaining debris before giving your pearly whites a polish. This gets rid of surface stains to leave your smile shining brightly. Lastly, we can coat your teeth with a concentrated fluoride gel, which makes them more resistant to cavities.
Fluoride Treatments
If you go down the oral healthcare aisle in any store, you’ll likely find fluoride added to almost every product. That’s because when this mineral comes in contact with the teeth, it actually fortifies the enamel and makes it more resistant to cavities. That’s why, as part of your cleanings, we’ll coat your teeth with a highly-concentrated fluoride gel or give you a fluoridated rinse. In addition to protecting you from cavities, these treatments have also been shown to repair small areas of dental decay.
Nightguards for Teeth Grinding/Bruxism
Millions of people unconsciously grind their teeth while they sleep, wearing down their enamel, breaking their dental restorations, and straining their jaw muscles, all while they’re supposed to be resting! If your teeth appear flat or you normally wake up with a sore jaw or head, Dr. Oshins can give you a custom-made nightguard. This small oral appliance places a comfortable barrier between the teeth that stops them from grinding while you slumber, and it also removes excess pressure from the sensitive jaw joint.
Oral Cancer Screenings
Oral cancer is one of the deadliest varieties, and a big reason for this is because the disease often isn’t caught until it’s quite advanced. Early detection is essential for a fast and full recovery, which is why we give our patients a thorough oral cancer screening using the VELscope light at every checkup. This allows us to see variations in the oral tissues that could indicate cancerous cells that normally would be hidden from the naked eye, enabling us to catch the disease as soon as possible.