North Bethesda Dentist | Returning To Your Routine Dental Exams and Cleanings
North Bethesda Dentist
Although many realize that visiting your dentist is an integral part of proper dental hygiene, some have neglected their regular appointments due to concerns about COVID-19.
You should be aware that our office has taken all the necessary steps to ensure the safety of its patients and staff. Keeping up with your regular checkups helps ensure that your mouth, teeth, and gums remain healthy and that we can detect any problems before they may require expensive dental work.
Learn more about returning to your routine dental exams and cleanings and contact Pike District Smiles today.
What should I expect during my regular dental exam?
Dental exams typically focus on preventing problems and practicing proper dental hygiene. They are also important because they allow us to detect potential dental problems in the early stages when intervention is most successful.
Medical History
Dental checkups are typically performed by a dentist with a dental assistant. If you require teeth cleaning, a dental hygienist will also take part. Regardless, your appointment starts with taking your medical history and examining your file. You may be asked questions about any medications that you are taking.
Also, you may be asked about any current medical conditions that you are dealing with, as well as associated treatments and previous dental treatments. All of this information is helpful in developing an individualized treatment plan.
Examination
The second step of the process involves a thorough examination of your teeth, gums, mouth, jaw, and supporting structures. X-rays may also be taken to detect any problems or underlying issues that are not immediately visible.
Cleaning
Undergoing dental cleaning is an integral part of your dental checkup. The focus here is on removing plaque and tartar that may have accumulated on your teeth or under your gums. After your cleaning, your dental hygienist will carefully polish your teeth and may provide information on brushing and flossing.
Examination
After your dental hygienist has thoroughly cleaned your teeth, the dentist may arrive to follow up with anything noticed during your initial dental exam. You may also be checked for signs and symptoms of oral cancer. Early detection of this serious disease dramatically improves outcomes for patients. This is one reason why keeping up with your regular exams and cleanings is so important: It provides an opportunity to spot early signs of trouble, greatly improving the odds of a full recovery.
Getting Back on Track
The frequency of your needed dental exams and cleanings depends upon your current oral health. So be sure that you are regularly practicing sound dental hygiene at home and maintaining your scheduled visits to the dentist.
If you have been putting off your regular dental exams and cleanings for yourself or your family, we strongly encourage you to get back on track by contacting our office today to schedule an appointment. New patients are welcome! Many insurances are accepted!
Invisalign Dentist | Straightening Your Smile
Invisalign Dentist
Invisalign has been effectively straightening smiles since the late 90s. That’s why most patients prefer it over traditional braces. The clear aligners are custom-made to gently shift teeth correctly in place. Learn more about this revolutionary treatment below and contact Pike District Smiles today.
What is Invisalign?
In brief, Invisalign is a series of custom-made clear aligners designed to straighten teeth. It’s perfect for teens and adults who prefer a more discreet orthodontic treatment. In addition, Invisalign is best for mild to moderately misaligned teeth. Patients often obtain results in 6 to 18 months.
What is the Process?
If you are interested in Invisalign, schedule a consultation with an Invisalign provider. This visit will consist of an evaluation of your teeth, gums, and overall mouth structure. Should you be a candidate for Invisalign, your dentist will explain the treatment and costs. If you choose to move forward with the treatment, digital images are taken of your teeth and mouth structure.The images are then sent to the Invisalign lab for creation.
Once your clear aligners are ready, the dentist will schedule you an appointment. This visit will include an explanation of how to use your aligners and answer any questions you may have. Follow-up appointments are necessary for your Invisalign dentist to review your progress.
How Do I Maintain My Aligners?
The great thing about Invisalign is that they are removable. This means you can eat all types of food during your treatment. Simply remove your aligners before eating. Then brush your teeth before reinserting them. This prevents bacterial build-up which can damage your teeth.
In addition, it’s important to wear your aligners at least 23 hours a day and graduate to the next set every 2 weeks. This will assure the best results for your smile.
How Can I Get Started?
Pike District Smiles offers Invisalign. Contact us to schedule an appointment to learn if Invisalign is best for you! New and existing patients may call 301-979-9071 or schedule an appointment online here.
North Bethesda Dentist | What is Preventive Dental Care?
North Bethesda Dentist
Preventive dental care is vital in avoiding the emergence or progression of any dental issue. In dentistry, just like in the other branches of medicine, preventive care is one of the most important tools of disease management. Pike District Smiles, your North Bethesda dentist, advocates for preventive dental care, helping patients practice ideal oral health care.
What is preventive dental care?
Preventive dental care refers to the practice of taking good care of your teeth, gums, and overall oral structure to help mitigate the occurrence of any dental disease or condition.
For the ideal oral hygiene and health, it is important to strictly follow the laid out recommendations that include practices and routines.
Preventive Dentistry Measures
There are many forms of preventive dental care, all focusing on preventing the occurrence of dental conditions and diseases. Your North Bethesda dentist advocates the following dental preventive measure.
Regular Teeth Brushing
Brushing your teeth is one of the basic preventive procedures that some people take for granted. Dentists recommend that you should brush your teeth at least twice daily after meals. Teeth brushing should also include cleaning of your gums and tongue.
Proper brushing of your teeth removes the remains of food particles from the surface and from in between the teeth. In left untouched, the food leftovers accumulate on the surface and in between teeth, forming plaque. Plaque attracts bacteria that break it down, forming acids that erode the tooth. Over time, the erosion of the tooth enamel results in massive tooth decay or gum disease. Regular and routine teeth cleaning is, therefore, an essential toot of ensuring you prevent dental diseases.
Flossing
Dental flossing ensures you get rid of retained food particles from in between the teeth that were otherwise not removed by teeth brushing. Doctors recommend flossing at least once a day to prevent the occurrence of dental disease. Flossing helps remove retained food particles after meals, which is a vital step in the prevention of dental diseases.
Routine Dental Visits
Dental checkups are part of preventive dental care. During the visits, the doctor takes a detailed history of your oral hygiene measures. The dentist will also perform a thorough dental examination and assessment. During the dental examination, the doctor can pick up signs of an emerging dental disease or establish an existing disease.
Early detection and diagnosis help in preventing the progress of the ailment, as the doctor will come up with the best management option. The dentist will also provide you with essential health education tips during the dental visit, equipping you with knowledge of maintaining a healthy oral status. It is vital, therefore, to observe the recommended two dental visits per year as a preventive dental care practice.
Maintaining Healthy Lifestyle Habits
Some lifestyle habits necessitate the emergence and progression of several types of oral disease and other health issues. The notable harmful lifestyle habit is excessive cigarette smoking. The nicotine and other substances from the cigarette smoke leave permanent stains on the tooth surface, significantly altering the appearance. The tartar from cigarettes also results in tooth decay over time.
In addition, excessive alcohol intake is also associated with several forms of dental ailments. To maintain proper oral health and hygiene status, you need to detest from harmful lifestyle vices like cigarette smoking and alcohol intake.
Your Diet
What you eat daily will either promote or inhibit your dental health status. For strong, healthy teeth, ensure you take in meals rich in calcium supplements. It is also important that you avoid high sugar content foodstuff like candy that is related to tooth decay over time. The sugar attracts bacteria that break it down, forming acids that corrode the teeth structure, eventually destroying the entire tooth. Ensure you eat a balanced diet and avoid sugar-based meals to prevent the emergence of dental diseases.
Drink Water
Water is an essential part of our dietary intake that many take for granted. In oral health, water is useful in helping keep the mouth clean and prevents the occurrence of several forms of dental disease. Drinking safe and clean water is, therefore, an important preventive dental care procedure that should be observed.
Learn More
Pike District Smiles, your North Bethesda Dentist, is at the forefront of highlighting, promoting, and encouraging preventive dental care practices. Learn more by scheduling a consultation today. Call 301-979-9071 or schedule an appointment online here.
Dentist: Why You Should Maintain Your Dental Appointments
Dentist
Visiting the dentist may not be the most ideal activity for some. However, it is always recommended to maintain your dental appointments for various reasons. Not only does it keep your smile healthy, but it also protects your overall general health. In fact, many research studies show a relation between poor dental health and many systemic health issues.
In other words, patients of all ages should maintain their dental appointments. Learn about the many benefits below and contact our dentist today!
Oral Cancer Detection
It’s not every day that you hear someone talk about suffering from oral cancer. And even though it’s not a common disease, it’s very much real. In addition, it often manifests itself in different ways.
Only a licensed professional such as a dentist can detect oral cancer early on. A patient who visits their dentist at least twice a year has a good chance of surviving because oral cancer is treatable in the early stages. Visit your dentist today and have an oral cancer screening. It’s non-invasive, painless, and only takes two to three minutes.
Preventive Care Maintenance
Regardless of how diligently you brush and floss your teeth, issues like plaque, tartar, and cavities can still occur. Plaque builds up over time. And when it does, removing it is not that easy. Eventually, it will harden into tartar, which can only be removed professionally by a hygienist or dentist.
Cavities are holes of decay. They can occur due to a few reasons. Oftentimes, poor dental hygiene and poor dieting can lead to cavities. Fortunately, patients can prevent buildup and cavities by maintaining their dental appointments. Procedures such as dental exams and cleanings are done to prevent dental issues. Also, cavities that are detected early on, are less likely to need extensive dental work. It is important to note that small dental issues can lead to periodontal disease and tooth loss. Stay ahead of your dental health by maintaining your dental appointments.
Gum Disease Prevention
Tooth decay is not the only problem that you should be worrying about when it comes to plaque and tartar build-ups. There’s also the issue of gum disease or periodontal disease. This is a chronic inflammation of the gums. Left untreated, tooth loss is likely to occur. In addition, this disease has been linked with a variety of systemic health issues like diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Learn More
New patients are invited to schedule a consultation to learn more about dental health maintenance. Aside from at-home treatment, procedures like exams and cleanings are necessary to prevent many dental issues.
At Pike District Smiles, our dentist offers many services to assist patients of all ages. This includes general, pediatric, and cosmetic dentistry. Contact our friendly team to schedule your consultation. We offer convenient hours and Saturday appointments. Call 301-979-9071 or easily schedule an appointment online here. You can even book appointments for your entire family to fit your schedule – just let us know. We look forward to meeting you soon.
North Bethesda Family Dentist: Benefits of Choosing a Family Dentist
North Bethesda Family Dentist
A North Bethesda family dentist provides a wide range of services. Unlike general dentists or pediatric dentists, family dentists specialize in the treatment of all dental problems for patients of all ages. This means that an entire family can be attended by a single North Bethesda family dentist for several generations. There are many benefits such as time management.
Learn more about choosing a North Bethesda family dentist below. Have more questions? Contact Pike District Smiles today. Our team would be delighted to assist you and your family.
North Bethesda Family Dentist Maintenance of Patient Records
A North Bethesda family dentist will maintain well-documented records from the very beginning. For example, as your baby undergoes the different stages of growth, it is important to have a family dentist closely monitor their teeth to ensure healthy growth. This means that the dentist will be aware of the condition of their teeth and oral hygiene as they transition through all the stages. Likewise, older children, teens, and adults will have their smile monitored for common issues related to their age.
Early Detection and Treatment
In order for any doctor to detect a genetic problem in your family, it is helpful if he or she has attended several members of your family. Having a single family dentist attending to your family members will help the dentist detect if your family has a genetic dental problem. With this technique, the dentist will be in a better position to treat any dental issue.
Convenient Dental Services Designed for All Ages
Family dentists offer a wide range of services. You might have been going to the dentist for only a check-up and end up receiving other services like a dental cleaning. A family dentist is the ideal solution for all your family dental needs all under one roof. Some family dentists also have other services like cosmetic and restorative dental services.
North Bethesda Family Dentist Emergency Services
During the early stages of a child’s growth, they are vulnerable to injuries while playing and they need to be attended to with urgency. Knowing that you have a dentist who can attend to your child in case of an emergency, offers peace of mind. For instance, Pike District Smiles provides dental emergency care. Simply contact their office at 301-979-9071 and speak with their helpful staff.
Convenient Appointments for the Entire Family
Having to book appointments for individual members of the family will prove to be cumbersome or even annoying at times. This could even be harder if you have to take all of them individually to the different dentists. Since all family members are of different ages, it is possible to schedule appointments back to back with a family dentist.
Life-Long Dental Habits
Most of the habits that a person acquires during their childhood and adolescence stay with them throughout their entire lifetime. If you make it a habit of taking your child to a dentist regularly eventually they will learn the benefits of oral hygiene and dental check-up. This is why you need to have a North Bethesda family dentist who can take care of both your dental needs and your child’s at the same place since it will also be inspiring for the child to know that you are also being attended to by the same family dentist.
Qualified and Experienced
A family dentist undergoes thorough training. In addition to the training, they undergo an internship where they are allowed to treat patients while under supervision. During the internship, they gain enough experience that enables them to practice on their own.
Learn More
Contact Pike District Smiles, your North Bethesda Family Dentist, today. We offer a wide range of dental services designed for the entire family. New patients are always welcome. Also, ask about our patient specials! Simply call 301-979-9071 or request an appointment online here. We look forward to meeting you!
Dental Implant North Bethesda: Benefits of Replacing Missing Teeth
Dental Implant North Bethesda
Dental Implant North Bethesda
Missing teeth are known to cause oral health issues. For instance, the risks of tooth decay and periodontal disease are likely to increase. Also, patients often show signs of premature aging and a decrease in jaw bone strength and density. Fortunately, patients can choose dental implants to replace missing teeth and their roots.
Learn more about dental implants below and contact Pike District Smiles today!.
Causes of Missing Teeth
Tooth decay, injury, gum disease, or even genetic conditions can be the reason for a missing tooth. Despite the cause, replacing a missing tooth is essential for your oral health.
There are many ways for doing this, which include using dental implants, dental bridges, and dentures. However, many patients prefer dental implant North Bethesda for numerous reasons.
Benefits of Dental Implant North Bethesda
The treatment for missing teeth using dental implants involves inserting a titanium post in the lower or upper jaw followed by the replacement tooth. The metal post allows the tooth to remain in place and provides a permanent base for the replacement tooth.
Dental implant North Bethesda is preferred since it looks like a natural tooth and lasts for years. Also, with the dental implant, the nearing teeth are not involved. Thus, they remain intact naturally.
Health Benefits of Dental Implants
Preserves Healthy Bone Structure
When someone loses a tooth, and they do not replace it, their jawbones that it has fulfilled its duty; thus, it starts degenerating.
As this happens over time, the jawbone strength and density get compromised. The dental implant, however, does not preserve the bone but it stimulates it.
Prevents Teeth from Shifting
Most people think that replacing a missing tooth is rather not necessary since no one will notice. In fact, each of the teeth plays a specific function, and each of them needs the other. One tooth helps its adjacent one to stay in its proper position.
When you have a missing tooth, the adjacent one gets a high chance to drift towards the gap left. The missing tooth also eliminates the support it once gave to the lower or upper tooth.
Since the tooth that once used to support it from above or below is missing, supra eruption starts happening. As a result, periodontal problems can start happening. One may also experience abnormal tooth wear and bite problems.
Provides Dental Health Support
You have seen other alternatives to dental implants, which are overdentures and using bridges. These are viable options; however, they come with a fair share of setbacks. Dental implants, on the other hand, provide independent retention as well as support, just like the normal tooth.
The other two procedures usually rely on the adjacent teeth for restoration and support.
Dental implants do not need one to reduce other teeth, such as when using the tooth support bridge. It’s because the adjacent teeth aren’t altered to support this implant; thus, the rest of the teeth are left intact, thus improved long term oral health.
Individual implants are also beneficial since they allow for easier access between your teeth. As a result, oral hygiene is improved.
Convenience
Unlike removable dentures, dental implants allow one to get rid of the embarrassing inconvenience of having to remove the denture from time to time. You also do not have to apply messy adhesive each time, some of which might contain dangerous chemicals if used in excess.
Learn More About Dental Implant North Bethesda
Pike District Smiles offers a variety of services including dental implants. Learn more by scheduling a consultation. Call 301-979-9071 or schedule online here.