Preventative Dental Care

Preventative Dental Care

Happy patient at Milwaukie, OR Dentist Dr. Cardwell

Your oral health matters to more than just how your teeth and gums function and feel.

Patients who experience tooth decay, gum disease, and permanent tooth loss have a significantly higher risk for developing a range of chronic health conditions. Studies have found that poor oral health directly leads to an increased risk for diseases like heart disease, diabetes, dementia, arthritis, and cancer. To successfully lower your risk for these and other chronic health problems, you need to receive regular dental care from the SE Portland and Milwaukie, OR dentist at Prime Dental Care.

Frequent cleanings can prevent periodontitis, a condition caused by harmful oral bacteria, commonly referred to as plaque, that builds up along the gum line and on the surface of our teeth. When not removed, plaque hardens into tartar, a yellowish substance that discolors tooth enamel and contributes to gum inflammation. Fortunately, plaque buildup from tooth enamel can be removed during cleaning from a dental hygienist.

Regular exams and frequent cleanings offer the type of care you require in order to maintain a healthy, great-looking smile for a lifetime.

Dental Sealants

When tooth decay develops at a young age it can permanently damage the health of a child's smile. Even though temporary, baby teeth still play an important role in helping a child's permanent teeth properly develop. If a child loses their baby teeth at too young an age, permanent teeth can develop crooked, crowded, or misaligned.

For younger kids who lack the attention to detail or manual dexterity required to properly brush and floss, dental sealants offer parents a lasting, low-cost solution for helping to protect the health of their child's smile.

Dental sealants can help to prevent tooth decay by effectively sealing off tooth enamel from the harmful oral bacteria that causes cavities. A thin, invisible, and non-invasive resin, sealants are gently applied directly to the surface of a child's teeth during one brief appointment with Dr. Cardwell. Once the resin hardens, it creates a barrier that prevents plaque from reaching the tooth enamel beneath.

Sealants from Milwaukie, OR Dentist Dr. Cardwell
restorative dental care

TMJ Treatment

The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) refers to both the joint and jaw muscle that enables you to open and close your mouth. Working in tandem on both sides of the head, your TMJ works whenever you speak, chew, or swallow. When TMJ problems develop, they can cause you to experience serious discomfort when performing these daily activities.

Dr. Cardwell offers this treatment at a great price so our patients don't have to continue dealing with this uncomfortable issue, and can return once again to enjoying a functioning smile.

Treating TMJ requires first diagnosing the underlying cause. As an experienced family and senior dentist in Milwaukie, Dr. Cardwell understands how to quickly determine the cause of a patient's TMJ pain and to develop a treatment plan that will alleviate a patient's discomfort and quickly restore their jaw back to health.