All general dentistry in Plano is not the same. Some practices focus more on taking care of problems as they arise, instead of preventing them before they ever begin. Other practices offer great preventive care…but not for the whole family. And some practices that claim to be family-friendly can still feel rushed, cold, and clinical.
Not here at Aduddell Dentistry! Our general care is:
- Completely dedicated to treating the whole family from infancy through the rest of life with gentle compassion
- Careful about taking our time with you to get to know you, listen actively, and communicate clearly
- Passionate about educating our patients so they can take care of their smiles at home
- Zeroed in on whole health instead of tooth-by-tooth treatment
- Focused on prevention – it’s the best medicine!
If that’s the kind of general dentistry in Plano you have been looking for…then give us a call. We’d love to get to know you!
Preventive Dentistry that Feels Like a Vacation
We know how you are: You’re always looking for ways to improve your family’s health and wellbeing. You emphasize wholesome, fresh meals. Get the whole family involved in active, physical fun. Encourage plenty of sleep at night. And make sure that everyone in your family stays up to date with their physicals and checkups. But how about their smiles? Sometimes, in all the hustle and bustle of life, our oral health can start to take a back seat to other, more seemingly pressing matters.
Your Plano general dentists at Aduddell Dentistry are here to encourage you to keep dentistry on the top of your priority list.
Comprehensive Exams
You may have had a dental exam before – but we doubt you have ever had one like your comprehensive exam with Aduddell Dentistry. Your initial exam happens at your first visit and patients tell us that they can’t get over how thorough it is – and how fascinating. This first exam is there to create an in-depth baseline from which we measure and determine all future treatment. And all of the exam doesn’t even involve us looking in your mouth! That’s because, before we ever take x-rays, before we measure your gum pockets or look at your enamel we sit down with you and get to know you as a person. We go over your dental history, review your home hygiene routine, and understand what you wish for your smile.
Then we get you in one of our comfortable chairs to check:
- Your face, neck, and mouth for abnormalities
- Your teeth for cavities, wear, or other damage
- Your gums for any sign of gum disease
- Your jaw and bite for balance or the first symptoms of TMJ disorder
- Your soft palate and throat for indicators of sleep apnea
- Your entire mouth for the very first signs of oral cancer
And we do all of this at every hygiene visit thereafter. All of our general dental exams in Plano are designed to ensure that even the smallest problems will be caught early. That’s good for your health, your schedule, and your wallet!
Oral Cancer Screenings
With all the talk about cancer rates falling, believe it or not, oral cancer is the one cancer that is actually on the rise. This year alone, the death rates for oral cancer are proving to be higher than any of the other cancers we usually hear about. According to The Oral Cancer Foundation, “Close to 53,000 Americans will be diagnosed with oral or oropharyngeal cancer this year. It will cause over 9,750 deaths, killing roughly 1 person per hour, 24 hours per day. Of those 53,000 newly diagnosed individuals, only slightly more than half will be alive in 5 years.”
This information is not intended to frighten you, but we think it is incredibly important to be aware. Oral cancer often presents itself on your oral soft tissue with very few or easily-dismissable symptoms. That’s why, your general dentists in Plano, the Drs. Aduddell, encourage all of their patients to keep up with regular cancer screenings of all kinds – including oral cancer. It’s also why he insists on an oral cancer screening at every hygiene visit. If it has been a while since your last cleaning, checkup, or oral cancer screening, please give us a call. Your life could actually depend on it!
X-rays
Most people think of dental x-rays as a necessary discomfort. You need to get them done periodically, but they hurt your mouth, take a long time to develop, and never look very understandable, even when your general dentist in Plano is pointing at them. We want to change your mind about all that! Here at Aduddell Dentistry, we use only the most advanced, comfortable, and low-radiation x-rays possible
- Digital X-Rays – Our digital x-rays use smaller bite plates for both biteblocks and bitewings, require no chemicals for processing, give immediate results, are easy to see and understand, and can be reviewed directly with you on our operatory flat-screen TVs.
- Panoramic X-Rays – provide a clear overview of your entire mouth allowing us to better evaluate for dental restorations, check the position of your wisdom teeth, and look for other problems such as abscesses, signs of sinus problems, and receding bone levels caused by periodontal disease.
- Dental Cone Beam Tomography [Dental CBCT] – Like any CT scan, our dental CBCT x-ray provides more information than conventional dental or facial x-rays because it generates three-dimensional[3-D] images. We find the CBCT incredibly useful when we are evaluating bone density and choosing the placement of dental implants.
Now doesn’t that sound better? Images and information faster, more accurately, and much more comfortably.
Hygiene
What does hygiene mean to you? Freshness? Health? A clean slate to build your smile on? We agree! Our patients love that Aduddell Dentistry, your general dentists in Plano, really knows how to do a dental cleaning right. Our hygienists are not only highly experienced and trained, but they are also warm, thoughtful, careful, thorough, and oh-so educational. You will learn things about your mouth and how to keep it in top shape that you never knew before. Both kids and adults alike enjoy these dental hygiene sessions because we use the gentle and effective ultra-sonic scaler to power away build-up with sound vibrations. Your smile will feel brand new. But cleanings aren’t just to help you freshen your breath and your smile. Professional dental hygiene protects your teeth, your gums, and, in fact, your whole body! Clearing away bacteria-filled plaque and tarter diminishes your chance of letting that bacteria wreak havoc through decay, infection, tooth loss, and systemic inflammation. If it has been a while since your last cleaning, call us today. We’d love to help you freshen your smile while you protect your well being!
Periodontal Therapy
We measure your gum pockets at every visit for a reason. Gum disease is dangerous to your teeth and your body and has been proven to be linked to everything from tooth loss to heart attacks. But even when you keep up on your cleanings and are diligent with your hygiene at home, periodontal disease can creep in and your gums can swell, bleed, and separate from the teeth they are supposed to protect. The truth is, everyone slips up from time to time and forgets to brush or floss before bed, to schedule a professional cleaning, or make note of a little bleeding when they floss. That’s ok, we can treat your gum disease with stepped-up cleanings, antibiotics, and, when necessary, surgery. We also use the gentle and effective ultra-sonic scaler to clean under and around your gums and between your teeth with precision and comfort that can’t be achieved any other way.
And remember, if you suffer from dry mouth, dental phobia, or are pregnant, you are at an increased risk for periodontal disease. Please call our general dental office in Plano and schedule a cleaning and exam today.
Fluoride Treatments
Your pearly-white enamel seems tough – but not as tough as you might think. Every single day, chewing, grinding, acidic foods, sugary drinks, and even speaking can take a toll on your tooth enamel. This leaves your teeth vulnerable to staining, decay, breakage, and sensitivity. We don’t want that! Aduddell Dentistry, your general dentist in Plano, offers the simple, effective tooth protection of Fluoride varnish for all of our patients of all ages. We treat kids with Fluoride at every visit to ensure their teeth are safe and sound through all of childhood’s ups and downs, and adults are treated as needed. So what exactly is Fluoride and how does it protect your teeth?
Fluoride is a naturally occurring element that adheres to the calcium ions “near the surface of the tooth, anchoring them together and cutting down the rate at which the tooth is worn away.”
This is perfect for:
- Reversing tiny cavity bugs
- Protecting your teeth from dry mouth and acid attacks
- Defending your roots
- Preserving your dental work
- Lessening sensitivity
- Helping you save money on your future dental treatments.
Its easy and fast and can be done at your hygiene appointments to add that extra layer of protection and help your teeth stay strong for life!
Mouthguards
Those cheap boil-and-bite mouthguards from the sporting goods store might seem like a good idea – but is it really worth risking your child’s health, not to mention your wallet, by buying an inferior product? These mouth guards may seem “customized” because they take the shape of your child’s teeth, but there is nothing more comfortable or protective than a mouth guard made by your dentist. And comfort is important! Kids are less likely to use the bulky, poorly-fitting boil-and-bite guards because they don’t feel good! If your child isn’t wearing a mouthguard during games AND at practice, even during non-contact sports, such as gymnastics, biking, and skateboarding, they could be in danger of terrible, life-altering injuries. The truth is that most experts recommend that children wear a dentist-made mouthguard for any recreational activity that poses a risk of injury to the mouth. This really is a big deal. The American Dental Association estimates that over 5 million kids suffer from damaged teeth EVERY YEAR! Blows to the face injure all parts of the mouth – teeth, gums, lips, and tongue. A good mouth guard for your child can clearly prevent serious injury and save your family a lot of pain.
In addition to sportsguards, your Aduddell general dentists in Plano also offer nightguards to protect your teeth from nightly clenching and grinding.
Both guards are custom made to fit you or your child. Your smile will thank you!
Anesthesia
Do you get shaky just thinking about a dental cleaning? Does the idea of restorative dentistry make you weak in the knees? Does even picking up the phone to schedule a dental appointment make you break out in a cold sweat? Dental phobia or anxiety is a problem for lots of people and it can keep them from getting necessary care. But it isn’t only fear that keeps people out of the dental office. Some folks avoid general dentistry in Plano because of:
- An extra-strong gag reflex
- Difficulty sitting still for long periods
- TMJ disorder causing jaw lock
- Difficulty getting numb
- Special physical or mental needs
Our caring and compassionate doctors are here to help. We are Level 1 conscious sedation and N2O certified to offer a range of anesthetics, sedation, and anesthesia to help you relax and enjoy a completely pain-free visit.
We offer:
- Oral Sedation – This simple and easy solution does not require the use of needles. You will be given a prescription pill to take about an hour before your appointment so you arrive fully relaxed and ready to float away during treatment. Ask for a pillow and blanket for extra comfort. Remember, you will need someone to drive you to and from your appointment.
- Nitrous Oxide – More commonly called laughing gas, Nitrous Oxide is our tried and true relaxation method for all ages. Because it is completely reversible with the administration of oxygen, you can return to work or school after your procedure.
- And if you need even deeper sedation, we have partnered with an anesthesiologist for other methods of in-office sedation.
To keep you from walking around drooling with Novocaine-face, we also offer Oraverse, the easy way to reverse numbing and bring your smile back to life.
Sleep Apnea Treatment
Sleep apnea is nothing to snore at. It can actually be quite dangerous to your health and even life-threatening! If you have been diagnosed with sleep apnea, or wonder if you have it, talk to us about how we can help. We can:
- Provide you with a home sleep study
- Refer you to a sleep doctor for diagnosis
- Fit you for and create an oral appliance that is small, comfortable, and effective, especially for those who can’t tolerate a CPAP
- And even file with your medical insurance once treatment is determined
We think it is natural for your general dentist in Plano to keep an eye out for sleep apnea because many of the signs and symptoms show up on your teeth and in your throat. And who looks in your mouth more than anyone? Your dentist, that’s who! Plus, the dental team at Aduddell Dentistry is always concerned about your health. Considering how detrimental sleep apnea can be to your health and safety, it is one of our top concerns.
Emergency Care
We have never experienced an emergency that we enjoyed. No one likes being surprised by something going wrong – especially when it comes to your smile! Here’s the good news: Aduddell general dentistry in Plano is always ready and waiting to help you get through your dental emergency with soothing compassion and a gentle touch. No matter what has happened – a tooth or restoration lost, dental pain, trauma, or severe infection – we are here to:
- Talk you through it
- Answer your questions
- Keep you comfortable
- And get you back on the road to health
Depending on the severity of your emergency, we will try to get you in as close to the time you called as possible. And if you call after hours or on the weekend, we have an emergency number on our voice mail that lets you get in touch with a team member any time, day or night. When we say we are here for your smile, we mean it! In addition to this emergency phone number, you always have the option of utilizing our Online Scheduling tool to book your own appointment!
