Constantly having to figure out a “new” normal, which really has no semblance of normal, has given ‘being busy‘ a whole new meaning. And while people are dealing with plenty of differences in their lives, one would think with a world-wide pandemic, you’d have an excess of leisurely time.
That, however, does not seem to be the case. Between figuring out how to do your work remotely, becoming your kids’ home-school-teacher, and tackling those home projects you no longer can ignore — it probably feels like you can’t even take a breather. So we get it. We get that you’re busy and how a reminder that it’s time to see the dentist could feel like another thing you have to do.
The thing is: good oral health is not optional, it’s mandatory. Probably now more than ever because staying as healthy as possible is an important first line of defense.
Avoid Multiple Dental Visits by Understanding Why & How Multiple Visits Become Necessary
There’s two things that we want to watch out for: tooth decay and periodontal disease (aka gum disease).
Both are caused by bacteria in your mouth, and it’s the progression of the decay resulting from bacteria that becomes the problem.
When you let tooth decay progress one of the final stages is a lot of pain and root canal treatment as a last attempt to save the tooth. If that decay is on multiple teeth there’s a good chance that you are looking at multiple visits to correct all the problems.
When you let gum disease progress you’re also looking at pain, bad breath, and more evasive treatments to stop and correct the bone loss that results from periodontal disease.
Additionally, there’s plenty of research pointing to an oral-systemic link, and periodontal disease has been linked to some pretty serious health conditions like cardiovascular disease. The skinny of it is that if you keep your gums and teeth healthy you are less likely to end up in the emergency room.
Having said that, we hope that you can see how important it is to maintain regular visits — which means that you can’t get dental visits down to 1 or zero.
There are, however, options to minimize the number of visits that you might end up needing. Here’s how:
Don’t Put Off Your Dental Visits
Dental emergencies are a sure way that you’ll be making multiple trips to the dentist, but you’re not reading this to learn how to see us more, so we want to help you avoid those emergencies from happening in the first place.
There’s really three simple things you can do to avoid a dental emergency:
- Develop a stellar home-care routine with the best dental products available.
- Fix problems when found. If you let that decay progress (in either your gums or your teeth) we can promise you pain, more expensive treatment needs, and more dental visits will be on your plate. It won’t be a matter of ‘if‘ but ‘when‘. So don’t skip the radiographs because that is how the dentist is able to see and find cavities before they become bigger and more problematic. And be sure to schedule any needed treatment ASAP.
- Be seen at the recommended time. For some people it’s twice a year, for others it’s four times a year. Whatever your frequency, be sure to follow it. Being seen at the correct times is how things are caught early while they’re small, and how you keep that bad bacteria from wreaking havoc on your health.
Take Advantage of “Secret” Services That Your Dentist Offers
Ok, so there aren’t really “secret services”, but there may be treatment options available to you that you’re unaware of. The best part is that most of these services don’t add a whole lot of time to your visit, and you can continue many of them at home!
As we mentioned earlier, if you take a preventative approach to tooth decay and periodontal disease, you’ll be less likely to end up at the dentist or in an emergency room for that matter.
Not-So-Secret Treatment Options For You To Prevent Cavities
- Say Yes to Fluoride Treatments at Your Hygiene Visits.
The fluoride that we use in the office is much more concentrated than any consumer product that you can buy. Fluoride is important because it’s a mineral that essentially helps strengthen the enamel of your teeth. It helps keep your teeth hard and can even help to repair the enamel by replenishing the lost calcium and phosphorous. Thus, fluoride helps stop the decay process and aids in preventing cavities.
- Buy A Fluoridex Toothpaste On Your Way Out.
Fluoridex is a prescription-strength toothpaste that is going to give you the continued benefit of fluoride from the comfort of your own home. By using this at home, between your dental visits, you’re effectively helping your teeth stay strong and able to stand against that damaging bacteria. For your convenience, you can purchase them at our office.
- Schedule Sealants to be Done at Your Next Visit.
Sealants aren’t just for kids. As an adult you can also reap the benefits that sealants provide to the biting surface of your natural teeth. Sealants are essentially a strong-clear-protective coating applied to your teeth to keep bacteria from eating away at your tooth enamel.
Not-So-Secret Treatment Options For You To Prevent & Treat Gum Disease
- Purchase Perio Protect.
If you’ve been told that you’re developing or have periodontal disease, then Perio Protect could be a great option for you. At your routine visit, we’ll take impressions of your teeth so that special custom trays can be made. These prescription trays allow medicine to reach bacteria deep below the gum line that brushing and flossing cannot touch.
- Add Laser Therapy To Your Hygiene Visit.
Laser therapy helps kill any bacteria below the gum line, promotes healing for the gum tissue, and since it eliminates the main source of the infection there is also a reduction in swelling and bleeding. It typically doesn’t take longer than 5-10 minutes and it requires no downtime for you.
- Buy A HydroFloss When You Come In.
A HydroFloss is much more effective at disrupting the bacteria colonies than traditional floss. With traditional irrigators the natural minerals in the water can give the bacteria something to hold on to. However, since the HydroFloss uses magnets the minerals and plaque won’t stick to your teeth.
Take Advantage of Same-Day Scheduling
Are you the sort of person who would prefer to come in multiple times or would you rather just get everything done in a single-visit? We’re guessing you’re the latter.
If you book your visits far enough in advance you could potentially have all your cavities taken care of as well as your visit with the hygienist done on the same day. Yes, your overall visit time will be longer but this saves you from multiple trips.
The way that we are able to do single-visit restorations is with our CEREC technology.
Saving Time With the Magic of CEREC
When you have a decayed tooth that needs repair, some type of porcelain restoration can typically do the trick.
CEREC (short for Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramics) cuts down your wait time for any ceramic restorative dentistry you might need, including crowns, onlays, or sometimes even veneers from 1-2 weeks to 1-2 hours and you don’t need to come in for a second visit!
And it isn’t just the single-visit that makes CEREC a great option. You know how usually when you go to the dentist for a crown, they use that gag-worthy impression material? Not us! Our CEREC restorations utilize a camera system that takes a picture of your tooth, so that Dr. Powell can custom design your restoration.
While this is going on, you can enjoy a paraffin moisture hand mask while relaxing to your favorite tunes or finishing that last episode in the season with our movie glasses (talk about some much needed ‘me’ time)!
Next, your restoration designs are sent to our milling machine to create your custom restoration. Dr. Powell will then check their fit, adjust as needed, and secure it permanently in place. In just one visit, you’ll walk out with a smile ready to tackle the rest of your day with confidence!
Avoid Multiple Trips to The Dentist by Going In For Your Routine Visits
As busy as your life is it can be hard to find time for yourself – especially when it comes to seeing the dentist. But it’s your routine dental visits that are crucial for a healthy smile and avoiding dental emergencies.
We really want you to look and feel your best, but also know you have a lot on your plate these days — which is why we offer many options that can help keep you from having to make multiple trips to the dentist.
You can use that would be “second visit” for some well-deserved ‘me’ time! Call us to schedule your next visit and ask us about completing all your treatments on the same-day 661.349.7725 or you can request a reservation online.
