Visits with Your Dentist in Enterprise Improve Your Health

Your dentist in Enterprise, Dr. Tyler Schaffeld, treats his patients with a wide variety of general, restorative and cosmetic procedures. His skill and expertise combine to deliver the best in compassionate dental care. He emphasizes that the best dental treatment is preventive care–that is, routine visits every six months to his office and vigilant at-home care in between appointments.

Prevention is the Best Dental Treatment

Experience tells your family dentist in Enterprise that prevention is everything when it comes to the health and longevity of your teeth and gums. Foundational are at-home brushing twice daily and flossing each day, too, as recommended by the American Dental Association (ADA).

Beyond these are the semi-annual dental exam and professional cleaning. These treatments support what the patient does at home, and they uncover problems early on to prevent complex and costly treatments in the future. Also, dental cleanings not only make smiles look bright, they also remove harmful plaque and tartar to preserve gum tissue and tooth enamel.

The Routine Examination

Dr. Schaffeld checks your teeth and gums for:

• Dental cavities and gum disease
• The condition of restorations such as fillings, crowns, bonding, implants and bridgework
• How well teeth bite together and how the jaw joints operate
• Oral cancer on the soft tissues of the mouth

Also, the dentist performs gentle periodontal probing. This quick procedure measures the depth of the pockets between teeth and gum tissue. Healthy gum pockets should measure less than 0.3 mm. Spaces greater than this indicate the start or progression of gum disease (periodontitis),  a leading cause of tooth loss in American adults. Also, Dr. Schaffeld inspects the color and condition of the gums looking for:

• How well gums snug against tooth surfaces
• Redness, swelling, and tenderness
• Bleeding
• Pus at the gum line which indicates infection

The dentist sometimes performs diagnostic X-rays to look for hidden decay and underlying root and bone structure. X-rays help track the development and eruption of children’s teeth as well.

Dr. Schaffeld uses the semi-annual exam to formulate and work through a complete treatment plan for each patient. The plan simply may include exams and cleanings, or it can set-up a complete smile makeover aimed at long-term health, function and bright aesthetics.

The Routine Dental Cleaning

Your hygienist scrapes sticky plaque and hard tartar off tooth surfaces, from between teeth and at the gumline. This accumulated “biofilm” is the culprit in gum disease, and removing it regularly keeps gum tissue healthy and properly attached to teeth. When plaque is not removed, tooth and bone health suffers. Furthermore, much medical research indicates a connection between gum health and overall health.

Infection and inflammation at and below the gum line impact areas of the body far away from the mouth, fostering serious health conditions such as:

• Type-2 diabetes
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Dementia
• Alzheimer’s Disease
• Cardiovascular disease
• Stroke
• Heart attack
• Pregnancy complications

To sum up, twice-yearly dental cleanings partner with home hygiene in keeping your mouth–and body systems– as healthy as possible.

What Else You Can Do

In addition to brushing, flossing and getting your regular exams and cleanings with Dr. Schaffeld, your dental team advises:

• A nutritious diet low in processed sugars and carbs
• Consuming high calcium dairy, plenty of fruits and vegetables, and enjoying low-fat proteins such as chicken and fish
• Drinking water daily to hydrate your mouth and wash tooth surfaces (water also stimulates beneficial saliva)

Contact Us

Dr. Schaffeld and his staff are happy to see their patients twice a year.  So, contact the office today for your important semi-annual check-up.