Dental Health Services

Prevention

Regular checkups are probably the most important part of a good prevention program. At Campbell & Farrelly Dentistry you get a thorough check of your teeth and gums every 6 months. During your check up, Dr. Campbell checks your jaw joint for TMJ problems, does an oral cancer exam, checks your teeth for cracks, cavities, and failing restorations, evaluates the health of your gum tissues, and checks your bite.

Oral Cancer Screening

Although oral cancer is not incredibly common, it is a very aggressive cancer. It is on the rise, and the 5 year survival rate is only around 60%. This is why we are dedicated to finding lesions at the earliest stage possible and testing anything that seems suspicious. Dr. Campbell is diligent about oral cancer exams. Every patient gets an oral cancer exam at every check up without any extra cost – no exceptions! This quick and painless screening is just a tool to help us find anything irregular. If anything is found during the exam, we proceed to further tests to determine what the irregularity is.

Imaging

We use digital X-Rays to show us what’s going on in the bone, inside the tooth and in between your teeth. This helps us find cavities when they first start and are very small and easy to take care of. This also helps us recognize changes in your bone that might indicate periodontal disease, tumors, or infections. We also use digital pictures to help us document what your mouth looks like. You get to see what the doctor sees! Taking photos periodically will help us track if your gums, tooth color, or dental restorations are changing over time.

Cleanings

Each patient is different and requires different levels of treatment. For people with healthy gums, occasional preventive cleanings remove mild tartar build up, plaque, and staining. For those people who have gingivitis or periodontitis, the frequency and type of cleaning depends on the level of the disease. Depending on the severity and location of the gum disease, a specific type of cleaning will be recommended to you by the dentist to get your gums healthy again.

Counseling

At your first visit, we’ll discuss dietary and hygiene habits to determine if you need to change anything in order to improve the health of your teeth and gums. We look at every individuals unique needs and customize a home care program that is best for them. We are available to help people stop alcohol, drug or tobacco dependencies if they want the help. We educate our patients about substance abuse and it's effect on their health.

Cavities

Cavities are a bacterial infection of the teeth. Bacteria can be transmitted from one person to another. It’s been proven that kids that show early and aggressive dental problems almost always have a mother or nanny with the same dental problems.

There are two sides to treating cavities. First we strive for prevention. We try to educate expecting mothers, get kids in for their first visit at one year of age, and keep patients of all ages coming back for cleanings and check-ups regularly. We make specific prevention recommendations based on a person’s individual history.

The other side of managing this is treating an existing cavity. At Campbell & Farrelly Dentistry we only use tooth colored fillings, because they look, feel, and function like your own teeth. If patients are able to come regularly for dental checkups and x-rays, we can usually detect cavities very early on. The smaller the cavity, the easier it is to treat, and the more natural tooth structure is preserved. When caught in the earliest stages, cavities can be treated with simple, painless, low-cost procedures.

If cavities go untreated, they simply get larger, more complicated and expensive to fix, and more likely to cause pain. If the cavity gets deep enough, it can infect the tooth. Waiting until it hurts means waiting for more costly and invasive procedures, like crowns, root canals, or even extractions. Today we have great anesthetics to make sure you are comfortable, and great materials to restore your teeth.

Gum Disease

Gum disease is a serious condition that affects many Americans. Emerging research links periodontal disease to other health problems, including heart and respiratory diseases, preterm and low birthweight babies, stroke, osteoporosis, and diabetes.There are different levels of gum disease, and different ways to treat it.

Gingivitis

Gingivitis is an inflammation of the gums often characterized by bleeding, swelling, and redness. Gingivitis is completely reversible with appropriate treatment and home care. You can get gingivitis from poor hygiene, hormone imbalance, stress, and medications.

Periodontitis

Periodontitis is a more advanced form of gum disease that destroys the attachment of gum and bone to the teeth. This permanent loss of attachment often leads to loosening and even permanent loss of teeth. Like most other health problems, the earlier it is identified and treated, the better the outcome. The top 5 things that predispose someone to periodontitis are age, tobacco use, diabetes, heart disease, and genetics.

Treatment for periodontitis usually involves scaling and root planning, commonly referred to as a “deep cleaning.” In addition the dentist may recommend medications, rinses, more frequent cleaning visits, and possibly even surgery and other specialty procedures with a periodontist.

Missing Teeth

Missing teeth can often interfere with chewing capabilities and speech. The remaining teeth usually drift out of place, and changes in bite can lead to problems with the jaw joint. For those patients that have lost teeth, there are a variety of replacement options available.

Implants

Dental implants have become the new standard for tooth replacement. Implants are the closest thing to a real tooth. They have a variety of applications and can support single crowns, bridges, partials and full dentures. Whether you are missing one tooth or all of your teeth, you can benefit from dental implants.

Bridges

Bridges are most commonly used when one or two teeth are missing in an area. They are cemented on so that they function like real teeth. Bridges are a great alternative if a patient is not a good implant candidate.

Partials and Dentures

Partials and dentures still have their place in dentistry. They are removable, so you can take them in and out at your convenience. Often they are paired with other treatments in order to get the best outcome. It is very common to create full dentures that fit over dental implants, so they snap into place for the best fit without any messy adhesive.