People have different diets, different anatomy in their teeth and gums, and can have either a stronger or weaker immune system.  Some people have a lot of complex dentistry that needs to be maintained. Some people will more frequently get cavities or develop plaque and tartar.  Some people do not have the manual dexterity to adequately brush and floss all of their teeth.  Knowing this, it does not make sense to simply recommend to every patient that they need to see the dentist every six months, get X-rays every year, brush twice a day, and floss once a day.  

If you have excellent oral hygiene, natural teeth, healthy gums, and you have with little or no history of needing dental treatment, it may be more appropriate for you to get cleanings once a year and X-rays every two years.  On the other hand, if you continually develop new cavities, have a history of gum disease, or have needed a lot of complex dental treatment in the past, you may need to brush and floss more than average, change your diet, introduce anti-cavity mouth rinses and toothpastes, and possibly get more advanced cleanings more frequently than every six months.  

Advanced Protection Against Cavities and Gum Disease

There are a number of options for reducing the risk of recurrence of decay in our high risk patients.  First, we will try to identify the source of the problem.  Whether it is a poor diet,  multiple medications, or one of the many other causes of recurring decay, we will take the time to identify the cause and offer solutions.  Some causes are can be eliminated easily, others cannot.  For those patients who will not be able to eliminate all their risk factors, the use of the CariFree rinses and toothpastes can produce dramatic results.  Far beyond simple fluoride rinses which address one link in the chain of cavity development, CariFree solutions target five different steps of the process.  Powerful results can be seen, often significantly reducing the need for dental treatment.  

For those at higher risk of developing gum disease, our hygiene staff will provide you with tools and techniques for treating the problem early at home, often reducing or eliminating the need for treatment in the dental office.  The earlier gum disease is detected, the easier it is to treat.  Likewise, if it is allowed to progress, simple treatments become ineffective and more complex and costly treatment is required.  By monitoring your tissue health at every cleaning appointment, we will be able to present the most conservative treatment, because we will have caught the disease early.