Preventive Dentistry

Building and maintaining a beautiful smile for life requires a specific plan, together with ongoing care. The best defense against the perils that can damage your smile is prevention. With preventive dentistry and other treatments, your team at Johnson Dental will help you keep your beautiful, complete smile year after year.

Preventive Care Therapy

Patients that have minimal deposits of tartar or calculus and generally healthy gum tissues can be seen every 6 months and maintain their level of health.  Preventive Care Therapy, a Professional Cleaning, is our description of what many people consider a 6 month hygiene visit.

One of our skilled Dental Hygienists provides expert care to assess and evaluate the gum tissue for health, remove tartar, polish off stain from the teeth and provide oral hygiene instruction to motivate you to properly maintain your teeth at home between visits. A fluoride varnish application is typically provided at the conclusion of this visit to keep the teeth from being sensitive and increase the strength of the enamel and roots. You and your hygienist are a team and work together to maintain the level of gingival health you aspire to have.

Periodontal Therapy

Periodontal therapy refers to caring for the gum and bone structures that support your teeth. Without a healthy foundation, your ability to keep your teeth throughout your lifetime could be at risk. Ironically, this branch of dentistry is the least recognized – despite the importance of periodontal health – and many people unknowingly neglect their gums. This can result in infection and disease without ever knowing about it.

Your periodontal therapy at Johnson Dental includes periodontal measurements to determine the extent of any affected gum tissue, as well as a gentle procedure to remove any build-up of bacteria from beneath your gumline. Gingivitis, if left untreated, can progress to periodontitis, a more serious form of gum disease that can lead to receding gums, tooth loss, and other health problems.

You can ensure the health of your gums and supportive structures at Johnson Dental. Your access to our advanced periodontal therapy programs is your key to the restoration of your gums and the prevention of future problems.

WHAT IS PERIODONTAL DISEASE?

85% of adults have some form of periodontal disease, and many don’t even know they have it. Periodontal disease is often referred to as the “silent disease” because it has no symptoms until it reaches an advanced stage of development.

Gums affected by periodontal disease become red and inflamed, often times bleeding during brushing or flossing. If treated in a timely manner, these conditions can be reversed, preventing periodontal disease from developing. Advanced periodontal disease, known as periodontitis, is much more difficult to treat.

Periodontitis affects your gums, bone, and teeth in a manner that cannot be reversed. If left untreated, periodontitis results in tooth loss – teeth either fall out naturally or must be extracted. If you don’t catch periodontitis in its early stages, you may require extensive surgery to save your teeth and may put yourself at risk for other serious health problems.

According to Caesy® Dental Education, “Ailments associated with periodontal disease include: respiratory disease, pneumonia, strokes, ulcers, difficult-to-control diabetes, low birth weight babies, and infective endocarditis (a dangerous infection of the heart valves.) Researchers recently discovered that this chronic infection in your mouth creates an open doorway for plaque bacteria to enter the blood stream. These bacteria – Streptococcus sangguis – may cause blood clots that can block your arteries and even trigger a heart attack.”

Gingival Therapy

A form of periodontal disease that has not advanced to the point of causing changes in the bone surrounding the teeth is called gingivitis – inflammation of the gums. The gum tissues look red and puffy and often times bleed when flossing or when the hygienist evaluates the periodontal pockets with periodontal instruments.  If the tissues bleed it means they are inflammed. Gingivitis is a very critical but reversible condition. We have very good success in preventing our patients with gingivitis from transitioning to periodontitis when we perform timely Gingival Therapy.  Seeing gingivitis patients for Gingival Therapy every 3 months is the most effective way to prevent the advancement of the disease.

At a Gingival Therapy visit, your hygienist will assess the condition of the tissues to make sure it is the proper treatment based on your needs. A thorough removal of irritants such as plaque, calculus and tartar along with stain removal are performed.  Motivation about proper home care is essential and gives you the tools to enjoy success in preventing periodontal disease.

TMJ Therapy

You may suffer from headaches, a popping jaw when you open or close your mouth, and pain in your jaw joints and muscles. TMD or Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction is a condition many people suffer from, but the good news is…it can be treated. Based on the severity of your condition, we can recommend a course of treatment that will help alleviate your pain and make your day-to-day activities more pleasant. Ask Drs. Aaron and Kristi Johnson if you might benefit from this treatment.

Nightguard

Many individuals clinch or grind their teeth in their sleep. Not only does this cause damage to teeth, but also it can lead to headaches, tension in the neck and shoulders, and even snoring or difficulty breathing. A nightguard is an acrylic mouthpiece, customized by Drs. Aaron and Kristi Johnson, which protects your teeth and jaw while you sleep.

Tooth Extraction

Every effort is made to keep all your teeth, as it is always the best and preferred solution. However, there are several pathways that could result in the need to extract a tooth. Teeth can be lost to advanced periodontal disease. When bone around a tooth is lost to an advanced level, a tooth to become mobile, loose and become infected. In this case, the end result could be tooth loss. A tooth can be so badly decayed, fractured and even split  down the root. Teeth with conditions like this could be non-restorable. In the instance where a tooth cannot be saved, it extraction of the tooth will be recommended.

I AM MISSING A TOOTH. HOW CAN IT BE REPLACED?

By replacing missing teeth either with a bridge or implant, you will alleviate the problems associated with missing a tooth and will give your smile back its beautiful, full appearance. A bridge is one solution for replacing a tooth. By using neighboring teeth as the supportive structure, your dentist at Johnson Dental places a porcelain restoration into the vacant space, restoring the functionality and look of your smile. A dental implant is also an excellent solution. Dental implants involve the placement of a titanium post directly into the jawbone. Once the post has integrated with the bone, it can act as a new, solid support for a natural looking, porcelain restoration. Implants can replace a single tooth, or an entire set of teeth, offering more function and permanence than traditional dentures. Johnson Dental offers placement of both implant abutments and porcelain crowns that attach to the abutments.

Kids & Teens

Drs. Aaron and Kristi Johnson recommend children have their first dental visit by the time the first tooth erupts, or first birthday, whichever is first.

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Testimonials

“What a great place to have your teeth and your family taken care of! We love this place. Great doctors, Great staff, Great everything!”

• Christie & Frank

Smile Gallery

See for yourself what a difference a new smile can make! Take a look at these before and after photos of real patients and real results.

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