At the practice of dentist Michael D. Doty, DDS, we believe you deserve to have a smile that is both healthy and beautiful. You don’t have to sacrifice one for the other because most of our care helps to protect your teeth and gums and improve their appearance and function.
There are many ways a healthy smile can be a beautiful one. When you visit us for our dental wellness cleaning, our hygienists, Lisa and Amber, take photographs of your teeth to allow you to see areas of concern and to create a baseline to track future changes. They will take X-rays to allow Dr. Doty to determine areas of decay, abscesses, bone loss, or impaction. Then Lisa and Amber will remove the plaque and tartar that have collected on your teeth, which not only harms your dental health, but also attracts the stains that dull tooth color. If needed, they will show you how to floss optimally to remove debris between your teeth and how to brush to remove plaque daily and maintain your overall health for a lifetime.
Another way we improve your smile’s health and appearance is by working to help prevent or stop periodontal or gum disease from getting a foothold in your mouth. Gum disease can be seen when gums are red, irritated, swollen, or bleeding from not removing plaque build-up. Untreated, periodontal pockets occur where plaque has hardened into tartar and can no longer be brushed off at home. Over time the toxins from these bacteria cause inflammation and “pockets” where the gum has detached from your tooth. Periodontal disease is a condition that affects the beauty of your smile by pulling gum tissue away from your teeth, which makes them look too long and eventually causes tooth loss through the loss of bone and gum attachment. Some of our most common periodontal and oral health procedures include:
• Scaling
• Root Planing
• Oral Hygiene Instruction
• Site-Specific Antibiotic Therapy
• Leukoplakia or Tobacco Patch Therapy for tobacco chewers
Dr. Doty also provides dental restorations and cosmetic dental procedures that can improve the function of your bite while filling gaps in your smile and improving your overall appearance. Please visit our Cosmetic Dentistry page for more information.
We are committed to giving you the Healthy + Beautiful smile you deserve by providing quality dental care in Abingdon, Virginia. We invite you to call our office today to learn more about how a healthy smile can be a beautiful one too!