Dental Exams and Digital X-Rays
At Impressions Dental, we encourage our patients to schedule dental exams and checkups with Erie colorado dentists Drs. Matheson and Dickmann once every six months.
Along with brushing and flossing daily, regular checkups rank as an essential part of protecting the long-term health of your teeth and gums.
For patients with specialized oral care needs, dental visits may need to be scheduled more frequently as needed.
Long-Term Dental Hygiene
Regularly scheduled visits to see our highly trained staff of dental hygienists at Impressions Dental is a vital part in the prevention of gum disease and tooth decay.
Even if you brush twice a day and floss daily, there are certain areas of your mouth (such as below the gum line and between teeth) that your toothbrush just cannot reach.
These neglected areas allow dental plaque and calculus to build up, requiring a professional cleaning by our registered dental hygienists to ensure the removal of bacteria from those hard-to-reach places.
At Impressions Dental, our staff will make sure you understand the best practices for brushing and flossing at home so you can continue to protect your oral health everyday. Our team will guide you in all aspects of at-home dental hygiene, including proper brushing and flossing techniques as recommended by the American Dental Association.
Fluoride Treatment
Dr. Matheson may decide that fluoride should be part of your overall treatment. Fluoride treatments help to re-mineralize teeth, prevent the development of cavities and make your teeth more resistant to acid attacks from plaque, bacteria, and sugars in the mouth.
Dental Sealants
Dental sealants are thin plastic coatings that are applied to the grooves on the chewing surfaces of the back teeth to protect them from tooth decay.These grooves make it difficult to thoroughly clean teeth through traditional brushing and flossing. Most tooth decay in children and teens occurs on these surfaces.
Dr. Matheson and Dr. Dickmann offer tooth sealants that are applied quickly and easily, effectively “sealing” the a tooth’s deep grooves and providing protection from decay.
Mouth Guards
Many symptoms can be associated with bruxism (commonly known as teeth grinding), including ear or neck aches, jaw pain, headaches and sensitive teeth. The effects of teeth grinding can include broken, chipped or cracked teeth.
If you suspect that you grind your teeth while asleep, it’s important to make an appointment at Impressions Dental for an official diagnosis. Dr. Matheson can help you discover whether or not a medical condition may be contributing to this habit.
If Dr. Matheson determines that you grinding your teeth, he can provide a custom mouth guard from a simple impression of your top and bottom teeth. Dr. Matheson will take the time required to ensure that your mouth guard fits perfectly for maximum comfort and protection.
Periodontal Disease & Scaling and Root Planing
Periodontal disease, also known as gum disease or periodontitis, is a result of infection of the bone and gums that surround teeth. A build-up of plaque that contains harmful bacteria erodes gum tissue, causing it to become irritated and turn red, swell, and bleed easily.
It’s essential for periodontal disease to be treated to prevent further damage that can result in tooth loss. If this condition remains untreated, gum tissue separates from the teeth, causing spaces (also known as “pockets”) to develop between the teeth and the gums.
Scaling and root planing is a common treatment for periodontal disease. This method allows Dr. Matheson and a registered dental hygienist to provide a deeper cleaning between the compromised teeth and gums, preventing progression of the disease.
Root Canal Therapy
There are times when a tooth can become damaged and requires root canal treatment for it to remain a healthy part of your mouth.
A root canal is necessary when the nerve tissue inside the structure of a tooth becomes infected. An infection can be caused by a simple crack in the tooth, repeated dental work, or deep decay. There may be no outward signs that a tooth has been damaged, so it’s important to come in for regular appointments to get your whole mouth checked.
If your tooth is damaged, Dr. Matheson will perform a root canal to restore the tooth. In this procedure, infected nerve tissue is removed and any remaining infection is treated. Root canal therapy usually involves one office visit for Dr. Matheson to complete, and he will provide a crown or restoration to protect the tooth.