Dental Health
in Mission Valley, CA

Oral Hygiene

Maintaining a good oral hygiene routine is essential for a healthy mouth. We recommend that you brush your teeth at least twice a day, using a soft or medium bristled toothbrush. You should brush for at least two minutes every time. Hold your toothbrush at a 45-degree angle, using short, circular motions. It is important that you use gentle pressure, as brushing too hard can lead to damage to your tooth enamel and wear away your gum tissue. Make sure that you brush all surfaces of your teeth.

Flossing at least once a day is also an important part of your at-home oral care routine. Make sure that you use 18 inches of floss, and wrap it around each middle finger until you have about one inch of floss to work with. Move the floss gently back and forth to insert the floss between your teeth and scrape up and down against each tooth. Avoid forcing the floss or snapping it against your gums, as this can irritate.

Along with at-home care, professional care is key. We recommend that you have professional cleanings and exams at least twice a year. During these visits, your teeth are given a thorough cleaning, reaching all of the more difficult to clean spaces, helping to remove plaque, tartar and bacteria build up. We also check the condition of your teeth and gums, looking for signs of damage, decay, and infection. Exams are essential for spotting issues in your mouth and providing the appropriate treatment to prevent them from growing serious.

Children’s Dentistry

Just like you, your child needs to maintain a good oral hygiene routine. They should be brushing at least twice a day and flossing every day. They should also have at least two professional cleanings and exams every year. Your child’s dental health needs, however, are different from your own. Their mouths are continually growing and changing, and continue to do so until their late teens. At Cassell Dentistry, we offer dentistry for children, providing your child with cleanings, exams, and treatments such as fluoride and sealants.

We also understand that going to the dentist can be a scary event for a child. We do our best to provide a comforting environment, helping them to remain calm. There are also things that you can do to help your child as well, such as treating the visit like any other normal daily activity, and avoiding the use of any scary words, such as drill, shot, or hurt. There are also several children’s books that are designed to teach your child about going to the dentist. These books have easy to follow stories with easy to understand language.

Dental Dictionary

There are many terms that we use on a daily basis to talk about your oral health. Our goal is to help you understand the condition of your mouth and what treatment(s) might be needed. Some common terms used in our office include:

• Periodontal (gum) disease. These terms are often used interchangeably. Periodontal (gum) disease is a progressive infection in your gums. It starts out as gingivitis, which is characterized by red, swollen gums. As the condition progresses, bacteria travels below the gum line and causes gum recession, loose teeth, and even missing teeth. Advanced stages of gum disease are referred to as chronic periodontitis.
• Plaque and tartar (calculus). Plaque is a sticky film that accumulates on the surfaces of your teeth. It hardens over time, becoming tartar (calculus). Plaque can be easily removed with a toothbrush, while tartar requires professional cleaning.
• Dental prosthetics. Dental prosthetics involve the various types of treatments to restore damaged or missing teeth. These include dental crowns, bridges, dentures, and implants.

Periodontal Maintenance

Periodontal maintenance is a treatment for gum disease that involves periodic scheduled cleanings. Typically, these visits are every three months, but the frequency depends on your specific situation. During your visits, we check the condition of your gums and your teeth, measure your periodontal pockets, and take X-rays. The X-rays allow us to see the condition of your teeth below the gum line, as well as the condition of your jawbone. Periodontal maintenance is done to ensure that your mouth is healing following a scaling and root planing treatment.

Scaling and root planing is a “deep cleaning” of your teeth. It consists of not only scraping plaque, tartar, and bacteria from the surfaces of your teeth but around and below the gum line as well. Scaling is the cleaning of teeth around and above the gum line. Root planing involves the use of thin, specialized tools to smooth the surfaces of the roots of your teeth. An antimicrobial agent is then used to kill any bacteria that may still be lingering below the gums.

Dental Specialties

When people talk about going to the dentist, you most often think of a general dentist. A general dentist is one who has attended four years of dental school and takes care of your basic cleanings and exams. There are also several dental specialties that can take care of more specific needs:

• Pediatric dentist. A pediatric dentist is one who specializes in the dental care of children, from infancy to the teenage years. They also treat individuals with special needs.
• An orthodontist is a dentist who specializes in the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of dental issues with the alignment of your teeth and jaw. They treat children as well as adults.
• A periodontist specializes in the treatment and prevention of gum-related oral health issues. This also includes restoring missing teeth with dental implants.
• A prosthodontist is one who specializes in the restoration of damaged teeth and restoring missing teeth.
• An endodontist is a dentist who specializes in root canal therapy.
• Oral and maxillofacial surgeon.

Taking care of your mouth is essential for your oral, and overall, health. If you have any questions about any aspect of your oral health, call Cassell Dentistry today at 619-220-7475!