Advanced Dental Hygiene

Are you visiting Princeton Center for Dental Aesthetics & Implants for the first time? When you come in, you can expect a friendly greeting from our team. Then, after a tour of our office, a hygienist or dental assistant will walk you back to your chair and make sure that you’re comfortable.

Your first visit will include:

• Soft tissue exam and oral screening to identify changes in the tissues of the mouth.
• Periodontal Evaluation for both new and existing patients, is a series of steps our dentists follow to determine the health of your gum tissue. Depending on the results of the examination, our dentists will diagnose existing periodontal disease, establish periodontal prognosis, and if necessary, determine the appropriate periodontal treatment.
• Digital X-rays of your teeth, unless you have had x-rays recently. Standard of care states a full set of x-rays should be taken every three to five years, and bitewing x-rays should be taken every year. The x-rays help locate disease and decay not seen by the naked eye.
• Caries (cavity) evaluation with:
  • The Diagnodent cavity detecting device is a high tech laser fluorescence caries detection aid which measures changes in tooth structure cause by caries (cavities). It is especially useful for pit and fissure areas – even when the outer tooth structure seems to be intact. This device is over 90% accurate in detecting early cavities.
  • Spectra Caries Detection Aid is a digital imaging product used as an aid in caries detection. The hand-held unit is the size and shape of an intraoral camera and detects tooth decay by measuring increased light-induced fluorescence. Spectra is designed to identify cariogenic bacteria in fissures on occlusal surfaces. Spectra can also be used during the restorative phase to verify that all caries have been removed. A visual display on the monitor shows caries in red and healthy tooth enamel in green. Along with the colors, a numerical reading defines the potential caries activity on a scale from 0 to 5.
• Preventive cleaning, which includes cleaning and polishing your teeth to remove plaque (a biofilm of bacteria on teeth that produces the acid that causes tooth decay).
• Home care instructions– your dental hygienist will also teach proper brushing and flossing and answer your questions about cavity prevention or dental hygiene.
• Oral cancer screening (Velscope) during regular dental cleanings and checkups. With this quick but essential service, we can help you monitor your smile for signs of this deadly disease. In too many cases, oral cancer isn’t diagnosed until a full recovery is difficult or impossible.
• Sealants. fluoride treatment. or fluoride varnish. based on need
• Comprehensive Oral Examination One of our dentists will perform a complete comprehensive oral examination, review you radiographs, and determine if any further treatment is needed.