Family & Preventive Dentist Protecting Your Wichita Falls Smile
At Strohman Dental, we truly care about your family’s oral health. Getting regular checkups ensures your optimal dental wellness and gives us the opportunity to assess and resolve any problems quickly and conservatively. We offer a complete array of family and general dentistry services right here in Wichita Falls. We’re happy to treat your entire family under one roof, so feel free to bring grandparents and grandkids alike in for their regular checkups. We’re ready to help each of your loved ones smile all year around, so contact our office today to get started.
Dental Checkups & Cleanings
At your regularly scheduled biannual dental checkup, Dr. Shelly Strohman and our team of dental hygienists and assistants will focus on cleaning your teeth and assessing your overall oral health. We’ll check for problems such as tooth decay and gum disease. Of course, the sooner we treat these and other concerns, the better it is for your oral health and your wallet, too!
At these appointments, we’ll also want to know about your medical history. There are some medical conditions that can point to an oral health concern and visa-versa. Research actually shows a link between the bacteria that causes gum disease and a number of bodily illnesses and diseases, including heart disease, stroke, osteoporosis, dementia, and pregnancy complications. Thus, taking care of your gums can help you take care of your general health, too.
We’ll also want to know about your lifestyle as well. Do you participate in sports? We can provide you with an athletic mouthguard that will protect your teeth, gums, lips and tongue during both play and practice. All in all, these appointments help stop dental issues before they even start!
Dental Sealants
Dental sealants are ideal for children still learning how to brush their teeth. They involve applying a thin layer of a composite resin to protect their teeth from the accumulation of food particles, bacteria, and plaque. They are typically applied to the back teeth because they are the ones children tend to miss while brushing. They are a great way to give your little ones a little bit of extra protection right when they need it.
Nightguards for Bruxism
If you’re under an unusual amount of stress, this may manifest itself outwardly as bruxism, or unconscious teeth grinding and jaw clenching. Often, a person doesn’t even know they have bruxism because it mostly occurs while they are asleep. Over time, it can severely wear down the teeth and even cause them to break. In order to prevent this, we can give you a custom-fitted mouthpiece called a nightguard. Wearing this each night will protect your teeth and prevent them from grinding together.
Oral Cancer Screening
This year alone, nearly 50,000 people will be diagnosed with oral cancer. For those who catch it early, they’ll have an 83% chance of making a full recovery. This is why an oral cancer screening will always be part of your standard checkup. We’ll look at your cheeks, gums, throat, and tongue for any signs of the disease. If you routinely use any type of tobacco product or drink alcohol excessively, you are at a much higher risk of developing the disease, so be sure to have screenings regularly throughout the year.
Fluoride Treatment for Children
Tooth decay occurs when the minerals that make up your teeth are eaten away by acidic plaque. Fluoride is a type of mineral that, when consumed, helps restore this lost structure and fight against the development of cavities. This is why fluoride is typically included in many toothpastes and public water sources. As part of your child’s checkup, they’ll receive a fluoride treatment to give their teeth an extra layer of protection from cavities.
Periodontal Therapy
When it comes to your oral health, your gums are just as important as your teeth. They help protect the sensitive enamel around your teeth’s roots, and they supply them with precious blood as well. Just like your teeth, they can become infected when they aren’t cleaned regularly, and this condition (called gum disease) can lead to a variety of oral and overall health problems. This is why Dr. Shelly Strohman and our team will always keep an eye on the state of your gums whenever you come to see us. If you develop the condition, we can use periodontal therapy to treat it.