Preventive Dentistry in Boonton

The most effective and beneficial dental procedures are preventive. At Cabana Family Dental, we want patients to avoid dental problems. The most common oral health concerns – cavities, gum disease, tooth wear/breakage, and loss – can be avoided. With excellent homecare products and easy access to dental care, people can take care of their teeth better now than in any previous generation. It’s no wonder that statistics show we’re keeping our natural teeth longer in life.

Proper oral healthcare is not difficult. Simply brush twice a day, floss once a day, attend six-month checkups and cleanings, and follow through with restorative dental care as advised. Even the most diligent brushers and flossers can develop a cavity – or gingivitis. When this happens, we hope to find the problem early, at your six-month checkup and cleaning visit. Early detection allows for conservative treatment – which equals less pain, expense, and hassle for you!

Learn about our most common preventive dental care procedures and products in these articles, and be sure to call us if you have any questions.

Checkups & Hygiene

In keeping with the American Dental Association recommended best practices, we encourage patients to visit our office at least two times each year for a dental checkup and teeth cleaning. At each six month checkup, we carefully examine patients’ smiles screening for common oral health issues including oral cancer, periodontal disease, tooth decay, and more. We use x-rays and visual examination to find decayed or damaged areas on each tooth and evaluate existing restorations for signs of wear. We’ll carefully explain treatment options with patients, and work with them to determine the best course of action. We’re also happy to replace existing metal restorations with more cosmetic solutions, if patients would prefer these tooth-colored treatments.

Professional teeth cleanings allow our hygienists to remove plaque and tartar from teeth and gums preventing tooth decay and gum disease. Our hygienists also carefully evaluate gums for periodontal disease, and work with patients to change, improve, or target their at-home oral hygiene plan to prevent gum disease. Hygienists can also help young patients by demonstrating or explaining tooth brushing and flossing techniques for kids.

These regular examinations and cleanings help us prevent many major oral health issues, and if we’re unable to prevent health concerns, we’re able to diagnose them in early stages. Most oral health concerns are insidious. That means they continue to do more damage, if left untreated. A small cavity can spread to destroy an entire tooth, and a tiny chip or crack can lead to a severe fracture. Regular dental checkups give our dentists and team the opportunity treat patients while the damage is still reparable.

Children's Dentistry

We all know caring for kids is different than working with adults. Smaller teeth, shorter attention spans, and much more energy! That’s what makes caring for your child’s teeth so much fun. We love working with young patients, and invite families to schedule their appointments on the same day for maximum convenience. We have years of experience meeting the unique oral health and behavioral needs of kids, and our dentists offer a number of treatment options specifically geared toward developing healthy smiles that last a lifetime.

Gum Disease Therapy

Periodontal (gum) disease affects more than 50% of adults over the age of 30, and it is the leading cause of tooth loss for this demographic. That may not sound like much, but any other disease that effected more than half of the adult population might be branded as an epidemic. Imagine the response if 50% of US adults had lung cancer. We recognize that gum disease may not seem like a life threatening illness, but with the rapid growth in the numbers of periodontal disease sufferers in the past decade, research is beginning to reveal connections between this disease and more detrimental chronic and systemic illnesses including heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. We offer a number of treatments for gum disease including deep cleanings known as scaling where all of the plaque and tartar buildup and damaged soft tissue is removed. We typically combine scaling with root planing, the smoothing of tooth roots that makes it more difficult for additional plaque and tartar to accumulate. In advanced cases, we may also recommend topical antibiotic therapy.

Under Armour Performance Mouthwear™

Would you like to increase your strength, speed, and balance without any training? Sounds too good to be true, right? Professional athletes across the nation are stepping up their game with the Under Armour Performance Mouthwear. More than just a mouthguard, Under Armour Performance Mouthwear is custom designed to reduce jaw tension, allowing you to focus on what’s important – smearing the competition!

Under Armour Performance Mouthwear does more than protect your mouth and teeth from sports-related injuries. Clenching, the body’s natural reaction to stress, releases the hormone cortisol, which can cause fatigue and distraction. The Under Armour Performance Mouthwear prevents clenching and also pivots the jaw forward, alleviates jaw pressure, enlarges airway openings, and increases oxygen flow to the body.

As an Under Armour Performance Mouthwear provider, the dentist can fit you for the appliance in one visit. First, we take impressions of your teeth and register your bite. The entire process takes about 20 minutes, and you’ll receive your Under Armour Performance Mouthwear in about 10 days.

Hundreds of athletes currently use Under Armour Performance Mouthwear to improve their sports performance. It’s recommended for adults and children eight and older who play contact, no-contact, and limited-contact sports, including football, baseball, soccer, tennis, and golf.

Velscope Oral Cancer Screening

In the US, oral cancer claims one life each hour on average, and more than half of those diagnosed each year do not live more than five years following diagnosis. Most doctors and researchers agree that, diagnosed in the early stages, oral cancer is one of the most treatable forms of cancer. According to some recent research conducted by the Oral Cancer Foundation, disparity between the high number of deaths associated with oral cancer and the research that references oral cancer as one of the most treatable forms of cancer is the stage of diagnosis. These researchers concluded that early diagnosis was the best way to begin decreasing the number of deaths attributed to oral cancer. That’s why our dentists include oral cancer screening using the Velscope system as part of every six month checkup.