Faq

• Practice good oral hygiene – Brush at least twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste and toothbrush.  Floss daily to remove food debris and plaque from in between the teeth and under the tissues.  We have found that electric toothbrushes such as “the Sonicare” do an excellent job for our clients.  Brush or use a tongue scraper to clean the tongue and reach the back areas.  Replace your toothbrush every 2 to 3 months.  If you wear dentures, clean them thoroughly at night and place them back in your mouth in the morning.
• See your dentist regularly – Get an examination and dental scaling at least twice a year.  If you have or have had periodontal disease, your dentist will recommend more frequent visits.
• Stop smoking– Ask your dentist what they recommend to help break the habit.
• Drink water frequently – Water will help keep your mouth moist and wash away bacteria.
• Use mouthwash/rinses – Some over-the-counter products only provide a temporary solution to mask unpleasant mouth odor.  Ask your dentist about antiseptic rinses that not only alleviate bad breath, but also kill the germs that cause the problem.

In most cases, your dentist can treat the cause of bad breath.  If it is determined that your mouth is healthy, but bad breath is persistent, your dentist may refer you to your physician to investigate a medical cause of the odour and recommend an appropriate treatment plan.

For more information please visit Your Oral Health.

Adults and children with decay that is not too close to the pulp or nerve of the tooth are usually the best candidates for using the laser instead of the regular “drill”. The laser does not add any additional cost to the fee for treatment – it’s a bonus if it can be used because “freezing” is usually not required.  Ultimately, your dentist will decide with you if it is an option.

We use Statim sterilizers for all of our sterilizing, which is the best and most up to date technology available.  We monitor the performance of our sterilizers with strip testing and spore testing which guarantees effectiveness against AIDS/HIV, Hepatitis B, and Hepatitis C.  These records are always available for inspection upon request. Anything that can’t be sterilized is disposable, so you can be confident that you are thoroughly protected at Liberty Dental.

There is a very wide range of treatments available in any dental office.  Only after your examination by a dentist can estimates be given for the specific procedures you require.  We always want you to feel comfortable asking for and receiving estimates after diagnosis has been made.  We encourage you to discuss any cost concerns with our staff prior to proceeding with treatment.

A complete dental examination for the purpose of diagnosing cavities and abnormalities – including cancer screening -includes radiographs. Without radiographcs, it is impossible to see all surfaces between the teeth, as well as under the tissues and the bone.  We take only those x-rays that are necessary, and we make every effort to keep exposures to a minimum.  The most important way we do this is by using Digital x-rays, which reduce your exposure through advanced computer technology by over 50% (with some sources quoting up to 90% reduction).

There is no fluoride added to the water supply in Clarington.  The higher rate of decay we see in Clarington seems to be directly related to this fact.  The amount of fluoride in most other community’s water source is .8 ppm. We always provide topical fluoride treatments for our clients up to the age of 18 at their continuing care appointments.  For more information on this subject and for details on using fluoride supplements to help strengthen the enamel, both by prescription or chewable over the counter products, please ask any of our dentists or hygienists.

At Liberty Dental we like to see your child for their first dental visit at 2-3 years of age. This introduces them to the dental office in a fun, non threatening way, setting the tone for positive dental experiences in the future.  At this age all primary teeth have usually erupted, so starting early and teaching good habits will hopefully prevent cavities from developing. In the event an area of decay is found, we are able to treat it in the early stages, which is much easier for your child.

Some parents wonder “Why fill a baby tooth that is going to fall out anyway?” We always recommend filling cavities in primary teeth, as these teeth are present for some very important reasons. The posterior, or back, baby teeth are not shed until approximately 12 years of age. The first reason to restore the tooth is to prevent your child from suffering if decay is ignored and an abscess develops. The next reason is that healthy teeth facilitate proper chewing which aids proper digestion.  And possibly the most important reason to fill a baby tooth, is because primary teeth hold space for the permanent teeth which are developing from a very early age and do not erupt until the pre-teen years.