Assessment, Diagnosis and Treatment Planning
Receive a dental hygiene assessment with a care plan.
Dental Hygiene Treatment
Remove that pesky plaque and calculus with a routine cleaning.
Preventative Care
We are proud to offer a variety of preventative treatments to maintain you healthy smile.
Oral Health Services
Learn about treatment options and Meg’s formal credentials.
Pre-Appointment Forms
Save time before your appointment by filling out your forms online! Download the following forms and email them to: admin@totherootdh.ca
Assessment, Diagnosis and Treatment Planning
Your first visit will begin with a dental hygiene assessment.
A dental hygiene assessment includes:
- Review of your medical and dental history
- Assess your oral hygiene habits at home
- X-rays and measurements of your gums to fully understand and go over your periodontal condition.
- Screen for abnormalities and cancer on the face, lips, tongue, gums, cheeks, tissues, or in the jawbone.
Regular visits with a dental professional are the best way to screen for oral cancer (early detection is best).
Oral health education is imperative for total body health.
A care plan with an emphasis on oral hygiene instructions for at home will be discussed with you based on your dental hygiene assessment.
The following hygiene habits are essential to maintaining your oral health:
- Mechanical removal of biofilm with brushing
- Flossing and using a mouth rinse
- Regular hygiene appointments
Your dental hygienist will offer you advice and goals incorporating your unique risks, limitations, disease susceptibility, and personal/cultural values and preferences.
Dental Hygiene Treatment
Cleaning
To maintain a healthy mouth (teeth and gums), it is essential to remove plaque (biofilm) and calculus.
What does “a cleaning” include?
- Scaling and root planing completed with an ultrasonic scaler (Cavitron) and hand instruments which remove the soft (biofilm) and hard (calculus) deposits from above and below the gum line
- After scaling, polishing is done to remove any stain and plaque that may remain after scaling
Regular dental hygiene maintenance appointments are required and based on an individual need.
Why are regular cleanings important?
When biofilm and calculus are not removed, it leads to gingivitis and eventually, periodontitis, which you may know as gum disease. Left untreated, you may notice bleeding, swelling, and tenderness (inflammation), and it may irreversibly progress to gum recession, bone loss, and eventually, tooth loss.
Experience An Easier Home Care Routine
The smooth surface after your cleaning will make it easier for you to maintain your home care routine. There is also less opportunity for bacteria, stains, calculus, and plaque to adhere to your teeth.
Preventative Care
Fluoride Treatment
Fluoride treatment helps prevent tooth decay and sensitivity by integrating into the enamel of teeth and helping to remineralize them. It can be applied topically with a mouth-rinse, gel, foam, or varnish.
Pit and Fissure Sealants
Pit and Fissure Sealants are a thin plastic coating that are used to prevent tooth decay on the chewing surfaces of the teeth. If the deep grooves are sealed it will prevent food and plaque from getting trapped in those spaces as long as sealants remain intact.
Desensitizing
Desensitizing is used to reduce or eliminate sensitive teeth which may be caused by temperature, chemical, or pressure changes. A higher concentration of Fluoride is applied as a varnish in the area.
Silver Diamine Fluoride (SDF)
Silver Diamine Fluoride (SDF) is a chemotherapeutic agent that is applied to a cavity on permanent and primary teeth. It works as an antimicrobial and remineralizes the lesion to prevent progression. Only areas of decay and demineralization will be stained black. For best success at arresting decay reapplications are recommended (1-3 weeks after initial placement, and then at 6 months and 1-year intervals).
Denture Care
Soft and hard deposits are removed from the denture (full or partial) and denture care instructions are given to keep your smile looking and feeling great.
Recommendations:
- Ensure dentures are labelled and stored safely in a container filled with some water
- Remove the denture before going to sleep
- Good oral hygiene and maintenance will aid in the life of the appliance
Oral Health Services
In addition to providing Dental Hygiene Treatment, To The Root Dental Hygiene provides a wide array of dental service options.
Additional Oral Health Services
- Fluoride
- Sealants
- SDF
- Whitening
- ART
- Mobile Dental Hygiene
- Oral Hygiene Instruction
- Individual Consult
- Group or individual oral health education (from classrooms to tobacco cessation to nutritional counseling)
Atraumatic Restorative Therapy (ART)
In 2017, Meggie completed Atraumatic Restorative Therapy training through the University of Alberta.
If decay is found on someone who does not have immediate access to a dentist the dental hygienist that is formally trained can use hand instruments to remove decay and a temporary restoration is placed.
A referral will be given for a permanent replacement with a dentist.
Referrals
Referrals are sent to a dentist or specialist as needed.
Referrals are also given for medical doctors, massage therapists, physiotherapists, and many other practitioners as needed.
Contact Our Team
Visit Us
102-9725 98 Ave
Grande Prairie AB
T8V 8K5
Connect
Phone: 780-513-1399
Fax: 780-513-1551
Email: