Dentistry

Get to Know Our Team During an Initial Examination

If you’ve never visited a LISH dental clinic, now is the time to start.

We invite you to set up an appointment for an initial examination. This appointment will give you a chance to meet our team, and it also helps us get to know you.

We’ll perform an oral evaluation to assess the state of your mouth. This may include a visual exam and X-rays. We’ll also begin keeping records that will help us follow your progress over time.

Detailed records are important because your oral health holds clues to your overall health. Some conditions, such as heart disease, HIV or osteoporosis, may first be detected because of oral symptoms. In addition, poor oral hygiene can have negative effects on your whole system. Gum disease may raise the level of inflammation throughout your body.

Other things that we may do at your first appointment include:

• Learning about your dental history
• Cleaning your teeth
• Applying fluoride
• Recommending treatments for problems we discover

Your first appointment with our LISH dentistry staff will set the foundation for your future dental care.

Keeping Your Teeth Healthy with Regular Cleanings

You can make sure that you’re always in-the-know about the state of your gums and teeth by making regular visits to the dentist. For routine care, most kids and adults need to have dental appointments once every six months.

During these visits our staff may:

• Ask if you’re having any problems with your teeth
• Take X-rays
• Inspect your mouth for signs of trouble
• Remove plaque and buildup
• Polish your teeth
• Apply fluoride
• Provide advice about brushing and flossing
• Make treatment recommendations

Some of these steps, such as taking X-rays, may need to be done only once a year. Others, such as removing plaque, should be done at each appointment.

Maintaining a regular cleaning schedule helps us detect oral issues before they become major problems. This can save you time and money, and it may also spare you a good deal of discomfort.

Importance of Cavity Treatment

As we inspect your teeth and examine your X-rays, we may discover one or more cavities. These are areas where the outer layer of your tooth has begun to decay. Bacteria in your mouth are responsible for the damage.

People of all ages can develop new cavities. They’re most common in children, but even adults need regular exams to check for areas of decay.

It’s important to repair cavities before they get worse. Otherwise, your teeth may become infected. You might experience pain or swelling.

Many cavities can be treated with dental fillings. The dentist will start by removing the small portion of the tooth that is affected. After cleaning out all of the decay, the dentist will fill in the hole with a special material. When the procedure is over, the size and shape of your tooth will be pretty much the same as before, but you won’t have a cavity anymore!

If you don’t deal with cavities at an early stage, the decay can continue to spread. You may need more involved treatments, such as crowns or extractions. That’s why it is important to get regular dental checkups instead of only coming to see us when you’re experiencing problems.

Addressing Gum Disorders

Your gums can become inflamed and infected. This can be painful, and it can also cause damage to your teeth.

Scaling is one option we have for addressing gum disease. It’s a deep-cleaning process in which we carefully scrape away the plaque and tartar on your teeth. We may have to go under the gumline to fully address the problem.

It can take multiple visits to fix a serious tartar problem. Our dentists will continue working with you so that we can get your gum disease under control and help you achieve a healthier future.

Dental Procedures for Serious Problems

There may be times when cleanings and filling aren’t enough to take care of your oral concerns. Our LISH dentistry team may recommend that you undergo more involved procedures. Many of these can be done by our dentists.

Our treatment options include:

• Tooth extractions
• Bridges
• Dentures

At other times, we may recommend that you visit an oral surgeon or another specialist to take care of a complicated issue. Even still, it’s always best to begin treatment by consulting your LISH dentist since most concerns can be addressed in-house.

Brighten Your Smile with a Call to the LISH Dentistry Department

The LISH dental team operates out of multiple office locations throughout Suffolk County. Scheduling your appointment is the first step toward improving your oral health. Our dentists can perform routine cleanings and many other dental procedures for children and adults, including those with disabilities.

To learn more about becoming a dental patient at LISH, call (631) 650-2510. You can also reach out digitally through our online contact form. When our dentists are on your side, you’ll take great pride in your smile.