Midtowne Smiles

GENERAL DENTISTRY

Routine dental exams and cleanings, along with good oral hygiene and other preventive care as needed, are the foundation of a healthy smile!

You should be seeing your dentist every six months to have your teeth professionally cleaned and your entire smile, including your gums and your teeth, examined. This can help to identify oral diseases in their earliest stages when they can be treated most easily.

Routine Dental Care

You should be having semi-annual exams and cleanings at your dentist’s office. Here’s what to expect from those services:

  • Dental Exams

    Dr. Burton will examine your teeth and gums thoroughly to identify any signs of oral diseases, such as cavities or periodontal disease.

  • X-Rays

    We take x-rays once a year to look at the interior structures of your smile.

  • Oral Cancer Screening

    We use Velscope technology to detect symptoms of early-stage oral cancer.

  • Dental Cleanings

    You can be the most diligent brusher and flosser around, but it still may not be enough to keep your smile completely clean. A dental hygienist can access the parts of your smile that are hard for you to reach on your own and eliminate plaque and tartar from those areas.

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About General Dental Care

Additional Preventive Care


Some patients may benefit from other preventive care, such as sealants or fluoride treatments, to protect or strengthen the teeth. Dr. Burton will discuss the benefits of these interventions with you so that you can make an informed choice about your treatment.


VELscope® Oral Cancer Screening


The Oral Cancer Foundation estimates that close to 53,000 Americans are diagnosed with oral or oropharyngeal cancer every year. At more than 9500 deaths every year, the disease claims one life every hour. The death rate for oral cancer is higher than that of cancers that we hear about frequently, such as cervical cancer, Hodgkin’s lymphoma, laryngeal cancer, cancer of the testes, and many others.
The best way to protect yourself from oral cancer is to undergo an annual oral cancer screening. The detection of this disease in its early stages constitutes an essential facet of prevention and is the key to survival. It is precise with this goal in mind that Dr. Burton has started VELscope® Oral Cancer Screening in addition to the oral cancer exam during his regular dental checkup.
The FDA-approved VELscope® uses Fluorescence Visualization (FV) in an exciting new way and helps to help detect oral cancer in its earliest stages. Essentially, the VELscope® is a blue excitation lamp, which highlights precancerous and cancerous cell changes. The VELscope® examination by Dr. Burton is a painless and non-invasive procedure that takes two to three minutes.
If symptoms are noted, Dr. Burton will recommend a biopsy to fully ascertain the findings and let you know the future course of action. If there is no cause for doubt, you can schedule another examination next year.


Oral Hygiene Tips


In order to keep your smile as healthy as possible between dental appointments, you should be brushing and flossing as directed. Keep in mind the following tips:

    Use the right amount of pressure: You want to make sure that you’re brushing hard enough to dislodge plaque from your teeth, but don’t overdo it. Heavy-handed brushing can actually degrade your teeth, too.
    Use a brush that’s in good condition: If your brush is worn, it won’t be as effective. Use a soft-bristled brush and switch to a new brush every 3-4 months to make sure it’s in good condition.
    Make sure you’re brushing long enough: You should be brushing twice each day, two minutes each time. If you use an electric toothbrush, it may have a built-in timer to help you reach this goal.
    Floss every day to keep your gumline healthy: Daily flossing is important to disrupt plaque formation along your gumline and prevent gum disease. It also helps to remove bacteria from the areas between your teeth that your brush can’t reach.

Hygienic Treatment with VistaClearâ„¢


You deserve the best possible treatment and care when you visit us. We have installed powerful protection for you with the VistaClear™ Centralized Waterline Treatment System. The system provides filtered procedural water directly to dental operatories— eliminating the need for bottle systems and storage tanks!
The system’s micron-level filtration, built-in backflow prevention, and patented waterline cleaning method protect dental equipment and ensures that you benefit from the purest water during your procedures. Water from Vistaclear™ is safer from bacterial contamination that can creep into city water supplies.


Common General Dentistry Questions

  • Why should I go to the dentist regularly?


    Patients should see their dentists every six months to stay on top of changes in their oral health. This allows your dentist to identify and treat any issues before they become severe. For example, a small cavity can be addressed with a filling while a large area of decay may require a crown.
    Some patients may be tempted to delay visits to the dentist until they’re experiencing symptoms, but doing so makes it more likely that you’ll need a more involved treatment.

  • How often should I brush and floss?


    You should be brushing twice each day, and flossing daily. Keep in mind that you should take care to use the proper technique for these activities. Each brushing session should last two minutes to be sufficient, and you should use a brush that is no more than three or four months old.
    You should also angle your brush along the gum line to remove plaque in that area. Ask your dentist or dental hygienist for more guidance on toothbrushing techniques.

  • How often should I have a cleaning?


    In addition to having your teeth examined every six months, you will also have dental cleanings at these regular appointments. Those cleanings are just as important as the exams. Brushing and flossing alone can’t remove Tartar.
    A dental hygienist can use specialized instruments to dislodge the tartar that forms when plaque calcifies on your teeth. It’s also easier for the dental hygienist to reach the rearmost sections of your smile, along with the inner surfaces of your teeth, which you may not be able to get to.

  • Will a tooth filling hurt?


    Getting a cavity filled is usually associated with minimal if any, discomfort. We will first numb the area with a local anesthetic so that you will not feel any sensations while we remove decayed tooth material.
    If you do experience any discomfort after the anesthetic wears off, it can usually be managed with over-the-counter painkillers.

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