Have you ever wondered how you can keep your smile healthy? One of the most important factors in maintaining good oral health is practicing good dental hygiene. It takes daily care to keep your smile in optimal health! Dr. Jennifer B. Frankel, our skilled dentist, recommends that you brush your teeth at least twice every day or after each meal and that you floss at least once a day. Maintaining a balanced, nutritious diet also helps to keep your smile healthy. Remember to visit us at Northwest Dental Arts & Sleep Therapy every six months for a routine dental cleaning and exam as well.
To further protect your smile, we may recommend dental sealants. Sealants are simple yet effective coatings that are applied to the chewing surface of the back molars to protect them from tooth decay. While dental sealants are typically recommended for children when their permanent back molars erupt, we may also recommend sealants for adults based on each patient’s individual needs. Fluoride, a natural mineral, also helps to prevent tooth decay. We may suggest fluoride treatment if your teeth are prone to decay. For more information on dental hygiene in Keizer, Oregon and how we can help you maintain good oral health, we invite you to contact us today.
Be sure to take care of your smile at home. Both children and adults should brush their teeth at least twice a day and floss at least once daily.
We encourage you to visit our dental office every six months for a routine dental cleaning and exam. This allows Dr. Jennifer B. Frankel to make certain that your smile is in good health.Our skilled dentist and dental team at Northwest Dental Arts & Sleep Therapy are committed to helping you protect your smile. We offer several types of mouth guards to protect your teeth from damage and wear. For our athletic patients, we provide sports guards that are designed to be worn while you play sports and participate in other athletic activities. A sports guard works by covering your teeth, protecting them from dental injury while you play. Dr. Jennifer B. Frankel recommends sports guards for all sports, from hockey and football to tennis and soccer.
We also offer occlusal guards (bite guards). Dr. Jennifer B. Frankel may recommend a bite guard if you suffer from bruxism, or grinding and clenching of the teeth. Bruxism can lead to severe dental damage, as well as causing a significant amount of pain and discomfort in your jaw, face, and mouth. An occlusal guard prevents teeth grinding and clenching while you sleep.
In addition, we provide Essix® Clear Retainers in Keizer, Oregon. Retainers are used to maintain the proper position of your teeth after orthodontic treatment. One of the advantages of Essix Clear Retainers is that they allow you to maintain the natural aesthetic of your smile while you wear your retainer. For more information on our custom-made mouth guards and retainers, we invite you to call or visit us soon. We look forward to caring for your smile!
A mouth guard fits snugly yet comfortably over your teeth. Depending on your specific needs, we may recommend a sports guard to wear while you participate in athletic activities, or you may need an occlusal guard to prevent teeth grinding.
We also offer Essix® Clear Retainers, which are used to keep your teeth properly aligned after orthodontic treatment.At Northwest Dental Arts & Sleep Therapy, we are dedicated to keeping your smile in the best of health. To ensure that you stay in good health, our caring dentist, Dr. Jennifer B. Frankel, provides oral cancer screenings during each routine dental exam. Oral cancer screenings include an examination of your lips, face, jaw, neck, and the inside of your mouth, including the tongue, gums, roof of the mouth, and cheeks. If we notice any of the signs of oral cancer or any other abnormalities, we will prescribe appropriate treatment or, if needed, refer you to a specialist for further evaluation and treatment.
When oral cancer is detected in the early stages, it is very treatable. In most cases, however, oral cancer goes undiagnosed until it has progressed into more advanced, serious stages that are much more difficult to treat. While oral cancer sometimes presents no symptoms, the following are common signs of oral cancer:
- Unexplained bleeding in the mouth
- Red, white, or speckled red and white patches in the mouth
- Persistent sores in the mouth or on the face or neck that bleed easily and do not heal within 2 weeks
- A persistent sore throat
We invite you to contact us today to learn more and to schedule your next screening for oral cancer in Keizer, Oregon.
Dr. Jennifer B. Frankel and her team will carefully check your neck, face, and jaw for signs of oral cancer.
We will also thoroughly examine the inside of your mouth, including the gums, cheeks, tongue, and roof and floor of the mouth, for potentially cancerous conditions.The health of your gums is essential to the overall health of your smile. If your gums are affected by periodontal disease (gum disease), our knowledgeable dentist may recommend periodontal therapy. Periodontal disease occurs as the result of bacteria in plaque. As plaque and dental calculus (hardened plaque) build up on the teeth, bacteria can cause infection and swelling in the gums. It is important to treat periodontal disease as early as possible to ensure that the health of your smile is restored. If periodontal disease is left untreated, it can lead to tooth loss, bone loss, and a receding gum line. To treat periodontal disease and restore your oral health, Dr. Jennifer B. Frankel may recommend scaling and root planing. Scaling and root planing are deep cleanings; during these treatments, plaque, calculus, and bacteria are removed from both above and below the gum line. This helps to prevent the disease from progressing further, and in some cases, can even reverse the effects of periodontal disease.
If your gums are red, swollen, or tender, or if your gums bleed easily, you may suffer from periodontal disease. We encourage you to contact us at Northwest Dental Arts & Sleep Therapy today to learn more about gum treatment in Keizer, Oregon and to schedule your visit with our caring dental team.
Bleeding gums and a receding gum line are symptoms of periodontal disease (gum disease).
As periodontal disease progresses, pockets develop between the tooth and gum tissue. Your dentist will measure these pockets to determine the severity of the disease.
These pockets harbor bacteria that can infect the gum tissue and cause the gums to pull farther away from the teeth.
To improve the health of your smile, Dr. Jennifer B. Frankel may recommend scaling and root planing. These are deep cleaning methods that focus on removing plaque, tartar, and bacteria that have built up on the tooth structure, both above and below the gum line.
By removing bacteria, plaque, and tartar, and by smoothing out rough spots on the tooth, we can halt the progress of the disease and encourage your smile to heal.Sealants are a type of preventive dental treatment that can protect your teeth from tooth decay. A dental sealant is a thin coating created from plastic resin. This resin is applied to the chewing surface of the tooth to prevent decay. The sealant creates a barrier over the natural grooves and pits of the tooth surface. These pits and grooves are common sites of decay; sealants help to prevent decay by sealing the grooves and forming a smooth, easy-to-clean surface. Dental sealants in Keizer, Oregon are most often recommended for the back molars. Dr. Jennifer B. Frankel, our knowledgeable dentist, typically suggests dental sealants for children as soon as their permanent molars come in, which is usually between the ages of 6 and 12 years. By blocking out bacteria and food debris, sealants effectively prevent decay and keep your smile healthy.
Dental sealants can be applied in just one short, comfortable visit to Northwest Dental Arts & Sleep Therapy. Dr. Jennifer B. Frankel and her team will simply clean the tooth, then paint on the sealant. After the dental sealants dries, it will be ready to protect your teeth from decay. For more information on the benefits of dental sealants and our other preventive dentistry treatments, we invite you to call or visit us today!
