A preventive program is a cooperative effort by the patient, dentist, and dental staff to preserve the natural dentition and supporting structures by preventing the onset, progress, and recurrence of dental diseases and conditions.

preventive Dental Care includes regular dental exams, cleanings, and x-rays. Sealants and fluoride are also great preventive treatments that help protect the teeth. preventive Dental Care helps avoid serious and costly dental problems and is the key to having a healthy, confident, beautiful smile.

For most patients at Raton Family Dental, we recommend visiting us every six months allows us to track your oral health and identify potential concerns, like tooth decay that's progressing into a cavity, or gingivitis. The frequency of your exams may vary based on your personalized treatment plan.

The goal of preventive care is to protect your smile from damage caused by tooth decay, periodontal disease (gum disease) and other damaging dental conditions. Preventive dentistry works to avert these diseases before they cause damage that requires repair. This is also a great opportunity to discuss any concerns you have with us.

Preventive Dental Care Includes

• Dental Goals
  A discussion of any of your dental concerns, as well as your long-term dental goals.
  
  
• Comprehensive or Periodic Exam
  A thorough initial dental exam is performed each time you visit the office to serve as a benchmark of your overall health, and to see if anything has changed with your oral health since your last regular visit.
  
  
• Digital X-Rays
  Full-mouth X-rays are taken every five years to help us diagnose common problems, such as cavities, gum disease and some types of infections. If there is decay present, they are taken every three years. Your x-rays will also help us map your current tooth and root positions.
  
  
• Bitewing 1-4
  Bitewing x-rays (x-rays of top and bottom teeth biting together) are taken on an annual basis, these traditional X-rays detect decay between teeth and changes in the thickness of bone caused by gum disease. It can also see any wear or breakdown of dental fillings.
  
  
• Adult & Child Dental Cleanings
  Regular dental visits are very important because they keep your teeth and gums healthy. Only a dental professional can remove plaque build-up from those hard-to-reach places that regular brushing and flossing can't get. We'll use an ultrasonic scaler to physically remove deposits from the surfaces of your teeth.
  
  
• Intra-Oral Camera / Pictures
  An intra-oral camera is a small imaging device that captures photos of the inside of your mouth. In contrast to x-rays, which can show the internal structures of your teeth & jaw, an intraoral camera shows the outside of your teeth & gums in high detail.
  
  
• Periodontal Therapy (Scaling and Root Planning)
  Periodontitis is a term that is commonly known as gum disease would be defined as inflammation around the tissue of the teeth. Scaling and root planing is a therapy that we will recommend to help treat periodontitis. This is essentially a "deep-cleaning." The idea is that we are able to clean to the base of your pockets and plane the root surfaces so they are nice and smooth and less likely to harbor bacteria.