Let us be your dental “home” for the routine visits that protect your smile, health, and wellbeing
The Bell Dental Group appreciates that the best dental problem is the one that never happens in the first place! This approach is focused on prevention. And effective preventative dentistry in Alexandria, Virginia, blends consistently good home care with routine professional exams and cleanings. There is no substitute for professional care at our office. Likewise, consistent visits to our office must be complemented by ongoing brushing, flossing, and overall good oral hygiene at home and when away from the office.
The value of a dental “home”
The backbone of preventive dental care, routine visits to our office are generally scheduled at least once every six months. These visits frequently start with a professional cleaning by one of our experienced and talented dental hygienists. They use a gentle touch and light-touch instruments to remove surface stains, bacteria, plaque, and stubborn hardened plaque (tartar). Patients cannot keep up with plaque. It is constantly forming on the teeth. When plaque builds up, it hardens into tartar. Our hygienists are trained to remove tartar, which cannot be removed with basic toothbrushes and dental floss.
When tartar is not removed, it makes your teeth vulnerable to decay and your gums vulnerable to gum disease. Tartar erodes the teeth and irritates and inflames the soft tissues that surround, protect, and support the teeth, too.
In addition to professional cleanings, these visits or check-ups help Dr. Bell and our team stay on top of any medical changes our patients have experienced since their last visit. Your mouth does not exist in isolation from the rest of your body. There are hundreds of medications and chronic diseases that, for instance, are associated with dry mouth. When salivary flow is impeded, your teeth are at risk of developing tooth decay.
X-rays and other diagnostic tests may also be ordered during your visit. These technologies help Dr. Bell to “see” hidden problems or anomalies that cannot be seen with the naked eye. Our dentist is not only looking for signs of enamel erosion, dental decay, gingival inflammation, and periodontal infections. He is also looking for potential signs of pre-cancers or oral cancers or symptoms of conditions that affect the tissues and structures of the face and jaws. These conditions may include malocclusion (bad bite), temporomandibular joint dysfunction, bruxism (teeth grinding), snoring, and sleep-disordered breathing.
As true and lifelong partners in your oral health, The Bell Dental Group team takes great pride in providing trusted and tailored guidance to our one-of-a-kind patients. Depending on your needs, we may advise on tooth-friendly food choices or adjustments to behaviors, habits, patterns, and cleaning techniques to reduce your risk of damaging the teeth, gums, and other oral tissues and structures.
Do your smile and body a world of good. Call The Bell Dental Group at (703) 783-4557 to schedule your check-up and to get into a healthy routine today.
