Dental Care

Oral hygiene is more than just brushing and flossing. It includes good nutrition, eating the foods that keep your body healthy and avoid damage to your teeth. Safe lifestyle choices regarding smoking, and drug and alcohol use; oral cancer screenings; and prevention of gum disease.

You can rely on us, Dr. Douglas Harty and Dr. Sherri Wilson, to provide professional care and advice to keep your mouth in the pink and white. But good oral hygiene requires your commitment to home care also. The benefits are well worth the few minutes you’ll devote to it each day.

Dental care is vitally important to your overall health, and it doesn’t have to be complicated.

Do this	This way	This often	To prevent
Brush your teeth	Vertically (not side-to-side) from gum line down, including tongue and gums.	Twice a day.  At least morning and before bed; after every meal is better.	Bad breath, cavities, gum disease.
Floss around each tooth	Not a contest to see how hard you can ping the floss!  Gently move floss in V-shape, up and down over sides of each tooth – even the molars at the ends.	Once daily.  At least at bedtime is ideal.	Gum disease, cavities.
Professional cleaning	Have a dental professional clean, polish, and examine your mouth.	Twice a year.  More often if your dentist recommends.	Advanced dental problems.
Oral irrigation (optional)	Follow your dentist’s or manufacturer’s instructions.	Daily.  Especially if you have braces.	Cavities, gum disease.
Mouth rinses (optional)	Swish and hold for one minute, before or after brushing – not instead of brushing.	Daily.  Or as recommended by your dentist.	Bad breath, gum disease, discolored teeth.
Teeth whitening (optional)	Fill trays and wear after brushing.	Nightly, for two or more weeks as instructed by your dentist.	Dingy or discolored teeth.

Our goal is to help you keep your teeth healthy and attractive for a lifetime. Regular visits for cleaning and examinations can head off most situations before they become problems. But if a problem does arise, we’re here to answer questions, provide advice, cure, and restore.