Jessica Swanson, DDS is a Professional Dentist in Ames IA with two office locations. Together, the doctors and staff provide their patients with everything from preventative care like checkups and dental cleanings to restorations to Invisalign braces.
General dentistry procedures like x-rays and exams can catch tooth decay early before it can damage the teeth even more and also affect the gums. While the dentist wants patients to brush, floss, and uses rinses at home, there’s also nothing like a dental cleaning to scrape plaque from the teeth. It’s not only unsightly; removing plaque before it turns into tooth decay can save a patient’s teeth.
Crowns and bridges are part of restorative dentistry. A crown is a cap that is placed on a tooth if a tooth is broken or if the dentist has to drill out a cavity that is too large to be filled in with a regular filling. The crown is shaped and colored to match the rest of the teeth, and can last ten years or more. Patients will need to floss carefully around the crown and be sure to keep the area clean.
Bridges are a way to replace one tooth or a whole section of teeth if the teeth are unable to be repaired. There are fixed bridges and removable bridges. Bridges may be a preferable option if a patient is not a good candidate for dental implants. To have implants, the patient must have healthy gum tissue and must have enough bone density in the jaw to hold a titanium implant.
Teeth whitening is a simple procedure that can be done in the dentist office fairly quickly. It’s painless, and can lighten the teeth eight shades or more. Patients may have discolored teeth from tobacco use or drinking tea. This treatment takes much less time than the store-bought home kits, and it gives more dramatic and more consistent results.
Invisalign appliances are the invisible braces that you can wear 24 hours a day but remove them when eating meals and for brushing and flossing the teeth. They don’t have to be cemented to the teeth like the old fashioned braces, and there’s less chance of tooth decay because they pose no obstruction when cleaning the teeth.
