General Dentistry

Oral Hygiene

We know we sound like a broken record, but oral hygiene—yes, that includes flossing!—is your best line of defense when it comes to oral health. Not to mention, the health of your mouth is in direct correlation with the health of your body, so if you want to be healthy, you need to take care good of your teeth and gums, too!

Home Care Tips

1. Invest in an electric toothbrush. They really do clean better than a manual, and with less effort! We would be happy to recommend a brush that suits your needs.

2. Brush your teeth thoroughly for at least two minutes, two times per day. Brush in small circular motions and hold the brush at a 45-degree angle. Focus on brushing along the gum-line and between teeth, and be sure to reach all the way to the back. Don’t brush too hard because you can easily damage your enamel and gum tissue.

3. Avoid brushing right after eating or drinking because the acidity combined with brushing can also damage your enamel. Brush in the morning before breakfast and at night right before bed. Swish with water before brushing, after eating or drinking, and periodically throughout the day.

4. Floss at least once every day. Curve the floss in a c-shape around each tooth and gently under the gum-line, rather than snapping the floss up and down which can damage your gum tissue. Release a new section of floss between each tooth to avoid redepositing plaque and bacteria. If traditional string floss doesn’t work for you, there are plenty of alternatives available and we would be happy to discuss your options, because flossing is the best thing you can do for your oral health.

5. Rinse with antiseptic mouthwash after brushing and flossing to kill even more bacteria in the mouth that brushing and flossing can miss. Your teeth and gums are only a small percentage of the surface area of your mouth, and when we’re dealing with bacteria, we need more than a string and a brush to get the job done.

Did you know that seven out of ten Canadians will develop gum disease at some point in their life? Sounds like a real problem, eh? (You’re telling us!) While many folks think it must not be that big of a deal if it’s so common, the truth is that gum disease is the leading cause of tooth loss and can increase your risk for serious future health problems like heart disease and stroke.

Gum disease is a bacterial infection that develops when proper oral hygiene practices are not followed. Plaque and bacteria left along the gumline quickly harden into tartar, irritating the gums until they start to pull away from the teeth or recede. Deep pockets form between the gums and the teeth, allowing the infection to thrive and multiply. Eventually, the pockets become so deep and the gums recede far enough that they are unable to support the teeth, causing tooth loss. Not to mention, these pathogens (infectious bacteria) have a direct pathway through the gums, into the bloodstream, and into your main lifelines—your heart and brain. Flossing doesn’t sound so bad now, does it?

If any of the above sounds familiar or you’ve already been diagnosed with gum disease and are seeking a non-invasive solution, you’re in the right place! We offer laser gum treatment, an exciting development in the dental industry. Scaling and root planing and traditional gum surgery involve cutting, scraping, and longer healing times, can cause discomfort, and only treat the physical symptoms of the disease—tartar and recession—rather than the cause—the bacterial infection.

Laser gum therapy uses the latest in dental laser technology to target and kill the infection while leaving healthy gum tissue intact. There’s no cutting, scraping, or sewing involved and it is minimally invasive for maximum comfort and healthy, aesthetic results with little to no healing time required.

First, you should know that gum disease is not the only cause of gum recession. Gum recession can also be caused by physical irritations like brushing too hard, teeth grinding and clenching, or ill-fitting dental appliances. Either way, it’s important to treat gum recession because the more gum tissue you lose, the more of your teeth and teeth roots become exposed, which leaves them more susceptible to disease, decay, and tooth loss.

Receding gum treatment involves supplementing the lost gum tissue with healthy tissue–also known as a gum graft. We take a small amount of tissue from the roof of the mouth, using it to fill the areas where tissue has been lost. Gum recession treatment can not only save your teeth, it can leave you with prettier, healthier smile.

Oral Cancer Screenings

Oral cancer is one of the deadliest forms of cancer because it is typically not diagnosed until later stages, by which time it’s often too late–which is just one more reason seeing your dentist regularly is so important. Your Vernon dentists are in a unique position—inside your mouth—to detect any small changes or abnormalities that may be signs of oral cancer.

Many dental offices still rely on the magic of sight for oral cancer detection, which, as you can imagine, doesn’t produce the greatest peace of mind or the earliest detection. Pleasant Vally Dental has invested in the latest oral cancer screening technology that allows us to illuminate abnormalities that may otherwise go undetected. Check out the infographic for more information including signs and symptoms, risk factors, and statistics, and come see us soon for a screening. It might just save your life.

You may not realize it now, but your healthy, complete smile is one of your greatest assets. It’s funny (or not so funny) how we don’t realize what we have until it’s gone. If you or your little one is involved in any type of contact sports, we highly recommend wearing a custom mouthguard. Custom mouthguards (as opposed to stock or boil-and-bite) offer the highest level of protection against oral injuries and tooth loss, and may even minimize damage caused by concussions. It’s all fun and games until someone gets kicked in the teeth, but with a custom mouthguard, the show can go on!

Maybe you don’t play sports, but your mouth is the site of a nightly battle between your top and bottom teeth. We all clench and grind our teeth sometimes—some of us more than others. A custom mouthguard or nightguard can provide a soft cushion to prevent the breakdown of your teeth over time, and allows the jaw to rest and heal so you don’t wake up with a headache. Thank goodness! Finally. the relief you deserve. You might be amazed at what a simple mouthguard can make for your quality of life.