When You Need a Dentist in Langley, Come See Us

The main reason for getting teeth cleaning is to maintain the health of your teeth so you can keep them as long as possible. Regular home cleanings such as brushing and flossing can remove the majority of bacteria and plaque from your teeth, but there are many areas where your brush and floss cannot reach. In these areas, bacteria flourish and eat away at your teeth, gums and the bone surrounding the teeth. If things are left this way, then over time your teeth can become loose and eventually have to be removed. Routine teeth cleanings can prevent this from occurring.

Besides preventing gum disease, teeth cleanings can prevent other conditions, such as bad breath, discoloured teeth, sensitivity and tooth decay. During your teeth cleanings, your hygienist and/or dentist will check you for any of these problems and therefore, preventing things from getting worse.

Your teeth are part of your body, so, therefore, any problems with them will affect your overall health. In fact, gum disease has been linked to heart disease in studies. If your teeth are not maintained, then your body expends energy in trying to fix the problem. This energy could be used in other parts of your body that might require more serious attention. Therefore, it is important to have regular teeth cleanings in order to maintain good oral health.

The recommended time interval for teeth cleanings is every 6 months. This allows for proper removal of plaque and calculus that builds up over time. However, some people with gum disease may be required to come in more frequently such as every 3 months. This will be determined by your dental hygienist or dentist upon your first appointment. As things change, your frequency of visits will change as well.

During your teeth cleaning appointment, you will be seen by our hygienist. Your teeth will be thoroughly cleaned by her either using hand instruments or our ultrasonic scaler. Once all plaque and calculus are removed, your teeth will be polished and a fluoride application applied. The dentist will also take a look at your teeth to make sure they are in optimal health and discuss any issues he might see.

To know more about teeth cleaning or any other of our dentistry services, submit your questions on our contact page or call us.

All our dental chairs are equipped with televisions so your child can watch their favourite TV program while they have their treatment completed. If they need to wait before or after their appointment, then we have a toy chest full of toys for all ages. For older children, there is an Xbox with several games to keep them entertained and challenged. After a successful appointment, your child will get to choose a toy from our large treasure chest. Our staff are well trained with children and love interacting with them. Patience is a virtue when working with children and we have it in leaps and bounds.

Unfortunately, there are some children who cannot tolerate dental procedures due to a variety of factors. This is common and should not be a place of concern for the parent. Eventually, most children outgrow this phase. However, until they do, your child may require sedation to have treatment completed. Children can be very unpredictable when it comes to sedation and therefore, should only be sedated by a professionally trained specialist in a properly equipped facility. If it comes to the point where a child needs sedation, then we work in conjunction with some the best pedodontists that can take care of all your children’s needs. Your child will be referred to them for a complete assessment and treatment. Unfortunately, this does mean that there will be additional costs and many specialists do not accept payments directly from insurance companies.

So are dental x-rays taken by your dentist safe? Simply put, the answer is: yes they are. Out of the different types of x-rays used in medicine, dental x-rays have the lowest radiation dose of them all. To give you an example of how low this dose is, they can be compared to the amount of radiation a person receives from background radiation (radiation from air, water, food, soil, space, etc). The average person is exposed to approximately 3,600 microsieverts of radiation in a year from background radiation. Typically, on a routine examination, your dentist will take 2-4 bitewing x-rays to look for cavities between your teeth, if needed. These x-rays emit 2-3 microsieverts of radiation. That works out to almost 0.08% of radiation from dental x-rays when compared to radiation from the environment.

Furthermore, dental x-rays taken by your dentist are restricted to the area they are being used. Because of filters and the focus of the x-ray beam, the radiation is confined to the teeth that are being examined. Therefore, there should be no worries about the x-rays affecting other areas of your body. In fact, the use of lead aprons is no longer necessary to cover the remainder of the body. It has been found that there is little to no measurable difference in radiation when wearing a lead apron compared to not wearing one.

Nowadays, more and more dentists are using digital dental x-rays instead of the standard film x-rays. This also is leading to a decrease in the amount of radiation a patients experiences in the dentist’s chair. Some digital manufacturers recommend using 20% of the dose used for film x-rays. So if your dentist is using digital x-rays, then you are also receiving a smaller dose of x-rays than you have in the past. And as technology continues to advance, this will only get better over time.

Now just because dental x-rays are safe does not mean that your dentist should take x-rays whenever they feel like it. Even though the radiation from dental x-rays is minimal, the amount of radiation a person is exposed to should always be minimized. Therefore, it is important for the dentist to determine if x-rays are necessary and should only take them when they are. But as always, if you have any concerns or questions, then it is best to sit down with your local dentist to discuss them.

Dental sedation involves taking a couple of pills before your appointment. You will arrive at the dental clinic one hour before your dental appointment and the dentist will provide you with some pills that you will take. It usually takes about 40 minutes to an hour for the dental sedation to take effect. During this time, you will be monitored and placed in a relaxing environment until it is time for your appointment. The dentist will check on you frequently to check your vitals and the level of sedation you have reached.

The effects of dental sedation can vary from person to person. The main effect of sedation is a high level of relaxation. People feel relaxed and drowsy, kind of like someone who has had a few drinks. Once in the chair, the majority of people fall asleep and many will even start snoring! There is also a pain reduction effect of dental sedation that helps with certain procedures, such as giving anesthetic (ie. freezing). Many people also have a little short-term memory loss as well so they do not even remember what occurred during the appointment.

After the appointment, most people still are feeling the effects of dental sedation. They will usually go home and sleep it off in a couple of hours. Another side effect is short-term memory loss. Usually, the patient doesn’t remember getting into the chair or the procedures performed. That also only lasts a couple of hours. After that, there are usually no other side effects.

Sedation performed in the dental office is very safe. It can be performed safely on a majority of healthy adults. Some people may not be suitable for this procedure, such as people with glaucoma, nerve disease, pregnant women, allergies to medication and depression. Our dentist will sit down with you and discuss your medical history and whether this is a good option for you.

If you choose to be sedated, then you must have a responsible adult pick you up and escort you home after your appointment. You will not be able to drive or operate machinery for a few hours afterwards.