Preventive Dentistry – Waco, TX
Preventive Dentistry Protects Patients’ Healthy Smiles
At Premier Family Dental, our team excels at correcting dental problems in revitalizing, seamless ways – but what if we could help you avoid them altogether instead? Dr. Cofer and Dr. McNutt emphasize the power of quality preventive dentistry in Waco to their patients at every appointment, and they will be happy to provide you and your loved ones with effective dental services that can potentially save you a great deal of time and money down the road. If it has been six months or more since your last appointment at the dentist, don’t hesitate to contact our Waco, TX dental office today.
Why Choose Premier Family Dental for Preventive Dentistry?
- Efficient, High-Quality Dental Care
- Experienced, Knowledgeable Dental Team
- Enhanced Dental Imaging with Digital X-Rays
Dental Checkups & Teeth Cleanings
Every patient needs to visit their chosen dentist at least twice every calendar year. Why? Because even diligent brushers and flossers can still fall victim to problems that simply aren’t noticeable to an untrained eye. During your regular dental checkup, Dr. Cofer and Dr. McNutt will thoroughly review every aspect of your oral health, such as the surfaces of each tooth, the gum tissue, the jaw, any restorative work currently in place, and more. X-rays will reveal anything that the naked eyes can’t identify as well.
Additionally, plaque is a constant, bacteria-filled threat to your smile that can harden in place over time along the tooth enamel. Routine teeth cleanings here at Premier Family Dental can get rid of this harmful substance thoroughly and leave your mouth feeling refreshed.
Learn More About Dental Checkups & Teeth Cleanings
Children’s Dentistry
Being able to bring the whole family to see one, trusted dentist here in Waco can save parents an amazing amount of time and travel-related costs. Dr. Cofer and Dr. McNutt as well as the rest of our staff are familiar with the oral health needs of all ages, and we always take the time to help your son or daughter feel right at home. Our kid-friendly dental services include dental sealants, fluoride treatment, gentle teeth cleanings, tooth-colored fillings, and more!
Fluoride Treatment
Fluoride treatment is a natural, effective, and noninvasive way to strengthen teeth and prevent cavities that can be safe for virtually everyone, and the team at Premier Family Dental is proud to offer this service at our office in Waco. By helping your teeth replace minerals lost due to wear and acid exposure, fluoride can help prevent stains and cavities and keep your smile in great shape for life. Here’s a brief guide to how fluoride treatments can help you maintain a gorgeous and healthy grin and how it can often be administered during routine dental appointments.
What Is Fluoride
Fluoride is a natural mineral that is found in many waterways as well as foods like grapes, raisins, shellfish, and potatoes, and it is also added to most municipal water supplies here in the United States to help protect the oral health of entire communities. Most brands of toothpaste also contain fluoride. Countless studies have shown that patients whose smiles are exposed to an appropriate amount of fluoride tend to have stronger and healthier teeth. If you or your children aren’t receiving the proper amount, we can perform professional fluoride treatments at our Waco office.
How Does Fluoride Treatment Work?
Fluoride treatment is a simple and noninvasive process that is completely painless without anesthesia. It begins with our dentist applying a layer of fluoridated varnish, gel, or foam to the teeth and leaving it there so it can remineralize your enamel. This will reverse the early stages of tooth decay, but it cannot address structural issues like cracks, chips, and existing cavities. You’ll have to avoid eating and drinking for about an hour after receiving fluoride so the process can take effect, but you’ll be able to resume your normal dietary habits immediately after the treatment as long as you remember to maintain excellent oral hygiene habits.
Who Benefits from Fluoride Treatment?
Virtually everyone can benefit from fluoride treatment, but you may be a particularly excellent candidate if:
- You are a child. Kids aren’t known for being enthusiastic about proper oral hygiene, so regular fluoride treatments can help them keep their teeth in great shape while they develop good cleaning habits.
- You have special needs that make it difficult for you to practice proper oral hygiene.
- You have a medical condition that increases the risk of cavities such as diabetes.
- You experience uncomfortable dental sensitivity. Fluoride may be able to strengthen your enamel so your teeth are more insulated against temperature shifts and chemical exposure.
Dental Sealants
Your back teeth (the molars and premolars) can be hard to reach with the toothbrush sometimes, especially for littler patients. To give this area of your mouth a little extra protection, we can place dental sealants over their chewing surfaces. These thin, tough plastic coatings are comfortable and hardly noticeable, and they do a great job of blocking food particles from squeezing into those deep grooves.
Nightguards for Bruxism
Do you regularly wake up with jaw pain or a bad headache? Do your teeth appear damaged or worn down and you have no idea why? These are very common signs of bruxism, which most people know as teeth grinding. Because teeth grinding is so likely to take place at night while a patient is sleeping, our team recommends the use of a nightguard. This sturdy oral appliance will provide a strong barrier between teeth that minimizes the damaging effects.
Oral Cancer Screening
Here at Premier Family Dental, oral cancer screenings are an essential part of every regular dental checkup. This dangerous disease kills one person every hour on average, and many cases aren’t even properly diagnosed until they’ve reached advanced stages. By scanning our patient’s mouths for strange sores, white or red spots, and other signs of cancerous cells, we can assist them in receiving oral cancer treatment and improving their chances of recovery much sooner.