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Preventive Care

Fillings, root canals, crowns, and implants can be expensive and take time out of your busy schedule. As the saying goes, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” The team at Lone Oak Dental is all about prevention! We honestly hope that we can get all of our patients to a healthy state where they are not losing teeth and not needing cavities filled every six months.

At the core of prevention is education. Knowing what causes dental disease such as cavities and gum disease is the first step in preventing it. Almost all dental disease results from bacteria, sugar, and an unclean mouth.

Your First Visit

At your first visit with us, we will gather all the necessary information about your current dental and medical situation, such as a full mouth set of radiographs (x-rays), periodontal charting, oral cancer screening, previous dental history, and your previous medical history.

By gathering this information, we can determine dental diseases that you may be prone to. For instance, medications such as hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ), which is used to treat high blood pressure and kidney disease, can make your mouth very dry. People who have a constantly dry mouth are more prone to cavities. By learning this about you, we can make recommendations about toothpastes you should use, how often you should be seen in our office, and if you should receive fluoride treatments.

Preventive Cleanings and Treatments

You should make appointments to have our hygienist perform a professional dental cleaning at least once every six months. If you quickly build tartar, have had extensive dental work, or have gum disease, we may recommend that you see us more often. Our hygienists are trained to remove tartar and plaque that builds up on your teeth, which can ultimately lead to cavities and gum disease.

Dental sealants are an excellent way to prevent cavities on back teeth like molars and premolars. Sealants are similar to tooth-colored fillings except no tooth structure needs to be removed to place them. This non-invasive treatment method fills the deep grooves, pits, and crevices in teeth that cannot be cleaned by brushing. As a result, food and bacteria cannot accumulate in these areas and cause decay. Sealants do not require local anesthesia or “shots.”

Professional fluoride treatments are an effective way to prevent cavities and treat sensitive teeth. The fluoride that we apply is at a higher concentration than that in toothpaste and mouth rinses. When fluoride this strength touches the tooth, it can actually make the tooth harder than it was before! The result is a tooth surface that is less likely to get a cavity.

Call Today to Arrange Your Next Appointment

Regular dental visits are an investment in your health and an inexpensive way to ensure that you will keep your smile for years to come. Preventive services like sealants and fluoride require little of your time and are painless!

Get started on preventing dental problems in the future. Schedule your visit at Lone Oak Dental today.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do I need a crown, I just want a filling?

Dental fillings are often used to replace where a cavity once was. Fillings repair the portion of the tooth that was damaged by the decay process. When fillings become very large, the tooth is often weakened and may break. The most often reason for a crown being recommended in our office is when a cusp, or point breaks off of a back tooth. In short, when a crown is recommended by Dr. Jordan, it is when he anticipates that the remaining tooth left after the decay is removed will be weakened and likely to break. In addition, when a back tooth has had root canal treatment, a crown is recommended to prevent the tooth from breaking.

Why do I keep breaking teeth?

Breaking teeth can be painful, costly and frustrating. When a patient comes to our office with multiple broken teeth, we examine several areas: tendency to clench and grind their teeth, size of previous fillings and how stable their bite is. People that clench and grind their teeth can generate enormous amounts of force which can chip or crack teeth. For those that clench or grind, we would recommend a splint to be worn at night or even during the day to reduce the amount of force put on your teeth. Unfortunately, cavities and fillings weaken teeth. When a dentist has to fix a cavity, the resulting tooth is more prone to breaking than if it had never had a cavity or filling. Lastly, a stable and protected bite evens the chewing forces out among teeth. If a tooth is taking more force than designed to, it is more likely to break. Crossbites, missing teeth, excessive overbites and underbites increase your chances of broken teeth. We believe that prevention is the best medicine and hoped you learned something from this FAQ!

Why are my kid’s teeth coming in behind the baby teeth?

Most children start having loose teeth around ages 5 or 6. As children age, the roots of baby teeth should resorb as the adult tooth forms below it. If the roots of the baby tooth do not resorb fast enough, the permanent tooth becomes displaced and continues on its path through the gums.

Luckily, most of the time, this condition requires no treatment. Usually, as the adult tooth erupts, the baby tooth root disappears and the child is able to remove the baby tooth on his or her own. However, if the permanent tooth is all the way in and the baby tooth is not loose, there is a good chance that the baby tooth will have to be removed. Once the adult tooth is in place, there is minimal to no pressure causing the root of the baby tooth to resorb. Dr. Jordan can usually tell how much baby tooth root is remaining by taking an x-ray. After the baby tooth is removed, the pressure from the tongue often pushes the permanent tooth into its correct position.

Why should I get my teeth cleaned and checked every 6 months?

The core of medicine and dentistry is prevention. Getting your teeth cleaned regularly removes tartar and plaque that lead to gum disease and cavities. Tartar is a hard substance formed over time on teeth that cannot be removed by brushing and flossing. Like many conditions, when found in the early stages, the treatment is less invasive, less painful and less costly. The same holds true with dental disease. Cavities, found when small, require less drilling, less time at the office and cost less. In addition, Dr. Jordan examines patients at these appointments or oral cancer and other diseases that affect the mouth.

What are sealants and do you recommend them?

Teeth develop from four or five lobes or parts. These lobes fuse together to form the tooth and where these lobes come together, grooves and pits are formed. These grooves and pits can be deep and difficult to clean. Therefore, they are a perfect place for sugar to sit and bacteria to start cavities.

Fortunately, these grooves can be filled in before they decay with dental sealants! Sealants are made of a white material that when applied to a tooth, flow into the deep pits and grooves. They are hardened by a blue light and can be chewed on right away.

Permanent teeth erupt from ages 5-13 and sealants should be applied soon after the tooth is fully exposed before a cavity has had the chance to form. If a child is not cooperative due to age or the teeth being treated cannot be kept very dry, it is best to not apply the sealant. Since sealants are a preventive treatment, dental insurance companies usually cover most or all of the cost associated with the care.

Meet Our Doctor:

Dr. Bradley Jordan
Dentist and Owner

I grew up in Stillwater, Minnesota. My dental degree is from the University of Minnesota, where I graduated third in my class. After dental school, I had the privilege of completing an Advanced Education in General Dentistry residency in San Antonio, Texas. This intense program gave me the training needed to confidently complete difficult procedures such as implants, cosmetics, full mouth reconstructions, and sedation dentistry. One of the greatest aspects of this program was that we treated U.S. Veterans and it allowed me to give back to those ...