Preventive Dentistry Delaware

Dental Checkups & Cleanings

Even if you maintain excellent brushing and flossing habits at home, it’s still possible for you to develop cavities, gum disease, or other problems that aren’t always obvious. This is why every six months, it’s crucial to visit us for a routine checkup and cleaning. During these appointments, we will carefully examine your smile, assess its health, and scope out any hidden issues, such as signs of oral cancer—all before providing a detailed cleaning and polishing of your teeth that removes any built-up plaque and tartar.

Children’s Dentistry

Believe it or not, children should begin visiting the dentist as soon as they turn one year old. At our dental office near Hockessin, we’re more than happy to treat your child alongside you, helping to make sure they develop healthy habits and remain problem-free as their smile matures. To further help ensure that your child experiences no discomfort or anxiety during their appointment, we also offer nitrous oxide sedation (laughing gas), known for its gentleness and effectiveness.

Gum Disease Treatment

Gum disease affects far more than just your gum tissue; it can even lead to total tooth loss if left unchecked for too long! Fortunately, in its earlier stages, gum disease is often treatable with the help of a pair of procedures called scaling and root planing. Our team will carefully remove all of the bacteria in deep pockets beneath the gumline that’s responsible for causing the infection, before smoothing out the roots of your teeth and encouraging healing.

Dental Sealants

When it comes to treating cavities in Wilmington, the best offense is a good defense—which is why our team relies on dental sealants to help protect teeth. These sealants are made from special, biocompatible materials that can safely bond with enamel, and they’re essentially painted on over the grooved and pitted surfaces of the back molars, which tend to be more vulnerable to cavity-causing bacteria. Dental sealants are particularly beneficial for children, but can also prove helpful for adults, too.

Athletic Mouthguards/ Sportsguards

Are you or one of your family members an athlete? Did you know that dental emergencies, such as knocked-out teeth, are far more likely to occur during sports, both contact and non-contact alike? However, an athletic mouthguard is one of the absolute best ways to prevent these situations from happening, and we’re happy to provide custom-made ones right here at our office. Better yet, these devices are far more effective and comfortable to wear compared to anything you can purchase yourself at the store—meaning they’re far more likely to be used!

Nightguards for Bruxism

Bruxism, more commonly known as teeth grinding, is a condition that causes exactly what its name implies—it leads a patient to grind their teeth or clench their jaws, often at night while they are sleeping and unaware. Luckily, bruxism is easily treatable with the help of a custom-made nightguard. These devices are made to hold your jaw in a proper position, preventing the teeth from coming into harmful contact with each other and also reducing the strain and tension placed on your jaw joints.

TMJ Treatment

Your temporomandibular joints, often called your TMJ, are the two hinge-like joints that connect your jaw to the rest of your skull and grant your mouth its wide range of motion. However, these joints can sometimes become strained, inflamed, or otherwise compromised, which in turn can lead to jaw pain and problems, as well as harm to the teeth.

Maintaining a harmonious bite balance is the secret to alleviating TMJ-related pain, and our team can help with this in several ways, including BOTOX injections, occlusal splints, and occlusal adjustments. After we’ve examined your mouth and bite pattern, we can put together a customized treatment plan using one or more of these solutions, ensuring that jaw pain is the least of your concerns moving forward.

Sleep Apnea Treatment

Every night, millions of people miss out on countless hours of sleep due to a condition known as sleep apnea. It causes you to stop breathing while you’re sleeping, often due to an obstruction in your airway that you have no control over. Needless to say, this doesn’t just cause sleep loss—it also leads to all kinds of health issues, including cardiovascular, respiratory, and cognitive problems.

Luckily, once it’s been diagnosed, sleep apnea is very manageable, often with the help of oral appliances. Far quieter, more comfortable, and easier to use than CPAP machines, these custom-made devices, only worn at night, are a lifesaver when it comes to lessening the brutal impact of sleep apnea symptoms.