Welcome to Carrollton smiles, where your healthy smile is our priority. We are dedicated to providing state-of-the art dental care that focuses on the health and longevity of your teeth and gums.
Cleanings and exams are both integral parts of your preventative care. Keeping your teeth and mouth healthy is important and we can provide the necessary treatment to help make this a reality. Exams and cleanings should be done twice a year. Cleanings are performed by hygienists while the exam will be done by our doctor.
Regular dental cleaning is essential for maintaining good oral health. Professional cleanings help to:
Preventive care is very important for a healthy smile. Our preventive services include:
At Carrollton Smiles, we offer a wide range of services:
Dr. Bhandaru is a LANAP® certified clinician.
The LANAP® protocol uses the specific wavelength PerioLase® MVP-7™ dental laser to vaporize bacteria deep within the pockets of the gums while leaving healthy tissue intact. Because of the gentle nature of the procedure, patients typically see immediate results with less bleeding when brushing and less bad breath. Your gums still need time to recover and heal, but after LANAP® treatment, you can continue with your day uninterrupted.
Finding a dentist you trust is the first step in having lifelong dental care. When you call Carrollton Smiles for a dental appointment, we take into consideration your general health and health conditions before recommending the ideal type of dental cleaning for you. Most dental insurances pay for a “regular dental cleaning” in absence of periodontal disease at a 100% If you don’t have dental insurance, Carrollton Smiles offers an advantage program to help you seek dental care you need.
Everyone is a good candidate for cleanings and exams! For patients with periodontal disease, deeper cleanings, known as scaling and root planings, may be necessary. All patients should see us twice a year for cleanings and exams. Even babies as young as one or two years old should be coming in for bi-annual appointments.
The hygienist will take several x-rays of your teeth that are used as part of your preventative care treatment. They will then clean your teeth thoroughly with specialized equipment and tools. Hardened plaque, tartar and difficult stains will be removed and the teeth flossed. The gums are then checked for signs of inflammation and pocketing, which could signal gum disease. Our doctor then comes into the office and performs a comprehensive examination. We’re looking for cavities, loose or broken restorations and even oral cancer. Both the cleaning and exam will take roughly an hour at Carrollton Smiles and be conveniently scheduled for your whole family. We can then pre-schedule your next checkup appointment so that you never have to worry that you’re missing the care that you need!
If you need to schedule an appointment for a cleaning and exam, call our office today and we can further assist you.
Healing after dental cleaning in the absence of periodontal disease is usually uneventful. If you have had scaling and root planing commonly known as “deep cleaning” you may experience some sensitivity that can last a few days. The sensitivity is usually due to the fact that the procedure removes tartar and plaque rendering enamel more sensitive to temperature changes. This can be compared to you feeling cold after removing fuzzy gloves.
To reduce sensitivity we recommend our patients to use MI paste for a week following the “deep cleaning “procedure. From their website: “Mi Paste™ is a topical tooth creme that guards against acid erosion, helps prevent plaque build-up, and reduces bacteria, while strengthen tooth enamel”. At Carrollton Smiles, Dr. B advises patients to avoid spicy, sour, crunchy, very hot and very cold foods for 48 hours following the procedure.
Every time we provide care, we’re observing many different aspects of your overall health. Most people are surprised at the large amount of surface area that lines the mouth. While this lining repairs itself quickly, it is susceptible to changes that may require monitoring or further evaluation.
Oral cancer can afflict anyone although tobacco users put themselves at significantly higher risk than non-users. Chewing tobacco contains up to 3000 different chemicals, including the same compounds used in pesticides and embalming fluid. Cellular changes below the surface aren’t always detectable until they’ve advanced to a critical stage.
However, early detection and treatment of oral cancer significantly increase the chance of a positive outcome. The American Cancer Society reports that about 7,000 deaths result from oral cancer out of 30,000 cases diagnosed annually. If we suspect any unusual changes in your mouth tissue, we may suggest a biopsy and microscopic analysis by a qualified lab.
Many other non-cancerous changes can occur in your mouth’s tissue, from oral warts to autoimmune lesions. Dr. Bhandaru draws on her background in oral pathology to determine if any abnormalities should be removed or simply monitored.
As a side note, we understand tobacco holds powerful addictive powers over many health-conscious people. If you’re determined to quit, we want to be a supportive partner in your efforts. Ask us about strategies and resources for kicking the habit.
A healthy smile is highly dependent on what happens between visits to see us. Good oral care habits can be established by anyone committed to carving a few minutes out each day to make it happen. Like regular exercise, consistency builds on previous efforts to enhance your health. At least two brief sessions of brushing and cleaning between your teeth daily set a foundation for optimum health.
With so many products available to consumers today, your hygienist serves as a personal trainer when it comes to dental home care. We’ll quickly narrow down the endless options and form a plan that fits you. Would a Waterpik make more sense and reach deeper than floss for your condition? Should you use a prescription toothpaste due to high risk from a reduced saliva condition? Many factors fit into a plan that makes your time and effort work for you.
Some patients identified with high risk for dental problems benefit from even more personalized routines. Simple, inexpensive additions can transform the environment of your mouth and dramatically reduce disease activity. For example, Xylitol is a naturally-derived sweetener that can reduce cavity activity in children and adults when used in the right dosages and exposure times.
While dental emergencies can strike anyone, our patients who commit to regular preventive care present with significantly fewer problems over time. Professional cleanings with a registered dental hygienist allow us to bring a blend of proactive efforts to you. Deposits of mineralized plaque, known as tartar, adhere to certain areas of the teeth, even with your best efforts. These deposits offer suitable housing for millions of harmful bacteria to reside. Left unchecked, they produce a flood of toxins into the gums. This frequently cascades into devastating chronic problems, even resulting in loss of the teeth.
When you visit us periodically, we can gently remove the deposits from the tooth surfaces. Without sitting undisturbed, bacterial tartar doesn’t have the same opportunity to produce irreversible damage. Furthermore, we use professional-strength polishing paste that gently buffs away stain and microscopic plaque, leaving your teeth ultra-smooth and shiny. Since discoloration settles into the enamel of your teeth over time, this helps slow yellowing while maintaining a glassy surface for better cleansing.
In addition to taking your general health and limitations into considerations, at Carrollton Smiles we use adjunctive treatments to improve your oral health
We use PerioLase (Nd:yag) laser for periodontal disinfection if you have bleeding gums. PerioLase is known to kill bad bacteria and aid in your periodontal and dental health.
In addition to the laser Dr. B offers ozone treatment to help grow healthy bacteria. We recommend oral chewable probiotics, like bioGaia, to aid in the increase of healthy microflora in your mouth.
Contact Carrollton Smiles to schedule your dental exam and teeth cleaning today!
If you're ready to schedule an appointment with Dr. Bhandaru, we invite you to take the next step by clicking the 'Book a Consultation' link below. Alternatively, feel free to email us, and our team will be delighted to assist you in setting up your appointment.
