Why Oral Health Is the Foundation of General Health
There are many reasons why your oral health is vital to your overall health. Everything you eat, drink, and inhale passes through your mouth and throat. This means that any disease in your mouth can be carried into your body and spread via your bloodstream.
Your teeth and mouth determine how well you can eat and whether you can enjoy a varied and healthy diet. Without healthy, strong teeth, nourishing vegetables and unprocessed meats are often the first foods to be lost from your diet.
There is another, often unappreciated reason why your oral health contributes to your overall health. Neuromuscular dentistry shows us that the jaw is interconnected with other muscles and bones of the head and neck. When your jaw is out of alignment, that misalignment can often have negative consequences for the rest of your body, including neck and spine problems, headaches, and more.
Types of General Dentistry Treatments
At Excellence In Dentistry, we offer a wide range of general dentistry treatments. Explore the different treatments we offer and book your next appointment today!
Comprehensive Exam
When you visit Excellence in Dentistry in Anchorage, Alaska, we complete our “New Patient
Experience” with our comprehensive 5-step exam series. This Exam includes:
- Risk/Health Assessment
- Head and Neck and Oral Cancer Exam
- Occlusal Exam to examine the relationship between your jaw joints, muscles, and teeth
- Evaluation of the current condition of your teeth, evaluating old fillings and checking for
cavities, and - Thorough periodontal (gum) evaluation
Once this exam is complete, we will know best how to help you achieve your optimal dental health and help you stay that way. If you have any dental problems or concerns, Dr. Kendall and his team will explain the condition of your mouth and share what your options are to prevent your problem from worsening.
When dental treatment is necessary, we strive to educate our patients and explain your condition thoroughly, thereby allowing you to proceed with your care at a pace that feels right to you.
Dental Cleanings
After we examine your teeth and evaluate your gum tissue, we will determine what type of professional dental cleaning you need. During your visit or visits, depending on your gum health, our hygienists will use a combination of hand and ultrasonic instruments to remove plaque and tartar (hard build-up) from the surfaces of your teeth and under your gum line.
In addition, our hygienists will use a diode laser that specifically targets unhealthy areas in your gums and is a proven path toward superior dental health. Used during each of your hygiene visits the laser is used to reduce the bacterial load in your mouth which reduces inflammation and promotes healing.
Professional dental cleanings are essential to your oral health because they can help prevent cavities and gum disease. Without a dental cleaning every three-six months, plaque can harden into tartar which can only be removed by special dental instruments. Your toothbrush alone cannot remove tartar.
By visiting our dental office every three-six months for a cleaning and exam, we can help prevent cavities and gum disease and stop dental problems in their tracks.
CariFree
Another treatment we are proud to offer as a part of our preventive and general dentistry services is CariFree. CariFree is a special line of dental products that help neutralize the pH in your mouth to stop acids from decaying your teeth. If you’re prone to cavities, we may recommend this treatment for you.
Tooth-Colored Fillings
When you do get a cavity, our first course of action is to remove the tooth decay. After removing the decay, we will restore your tooth’s strength and health with tooth-colored fillings. Unlike metal amalgam fillings, tooth-colored fillings blend seamlessly with your natural teeth and offer years of protection. In severe cases of tooth decay, we may recommend a dental crown instead.
Gum Disease Treatment
If we discover that you have early signs of gum disease or periodontal disease during your dental exam, we will recommend proceeding with treatment immediately. Without early treatment, gum disease can cause both bone and tooth loss as well as it has been linked to many serious health conditions including heart disease and diabetes.
Root Canal Therapy
If treatment is delayed too long, removing tooth decay isn’t enough to save the tooth. Once the pulp (center of the tooth that contains the nerve and blood vessels) becomes infected, a root canal becomes necessary otherwise the tooth will need to be removed. Root canal therapy removes the infected nerve and saves the tooth from extraction.
Don’t let the pain of an infected tooth prevent you from getting a root canal. After the root canal, you can look forward to being pain-free again with a healthy, restored tooth!
Wisdom Tooth Extraction
Most teens and young adults will eventually need their wisdom teeth extracted, otherwise, these teeth can cause complications such as infections or tooth crowding later in life. During each dental exam, we will evaluate the growth of your wisdom teeth to determine the best time to remove. If the time comes for extraction, we can most often perform this procedure at our Anchorage dental office.
Oral Surgery
There’s no need to find a different dental office to have your oral surgery needs met. Dr. Skinner and Dr. Fox both provide a wide range of oral surgery procedures including extractions, implant placements, bone grafts, sinus lifts, and more.
Does Anxiety Keep You from the Dentist?
Many people have a hard time making regular dental checkups because they’re afraid of the dentist. Or maybe they’re not afraid, but dental visits are unpleasant enough that they find excuses not to go. If that is you, Excellence In Dentistry can help. With the advantage of sedation dentistry, we can help you overcome your dental anxiety to get the preventive dental care you need to preserve your smile and your health.
We offer alternatives for people ranging from nitrous oxide for those with mild apprehension to conscious sedation for individuals with more moderate anxiety. If you suffer from an extreme dental phobia, IV sedation may be the solution for you.
The Front Runners of the Dental Industry
As general dentists we perform all primary dental care for our patients, and we are thoroughly trained and experienced to take care of you and your family’s overall dental needs. The dentists at Excellence In Dentistry can diagnose and treat most oral issues and have the best coordination of skills to work with specialist in our area when necessary.
Dr. Kendall is a frontrunner in the dental industry. He has been performing general dentistry procedures at the highest level for over 25 years. This alone makes our practice exceptional. In addition, we use the latest in dental technology:
- Computer digital radiographs, including 3D imaging
- Digital intraoral cameras
- Advanced computer smile design imaging technology
- State-of-the-art muscle TENS(J5) relaxation protocol
- K7 Computerized TMJ muscle evaluation (like an EKG for your jaw muscles)
- TSCAN computerized occlusal evaluation
- Four different dental lasers
- and we also provide private and discreet treatment suites
Book a General Dentistry Appointment in Anchorage Today
So, why wait? If it has been more than six months since your last dental exam and cleaning, or you are suffering from symptoms from other dental problems, please book an appointment. Give us a call at (907) 349-0022 or contact us to reserve some time with Dr. Kendall or Dr. Fox at Excellence In Dentistry in Anchorage, Alaska today!