Family Dentistry Services
in Anchorage, Alaska

Keeping a regular dental routine is the main way to establish a healthy foundation for your oral health. In addition to your daily dental hygiene routine, you should have a professional dental cleaning and hygiene check-up performed every three to six months, depending on your dental needs.

What You Can Expect for Your Dental Hygiene Check-Ups

Catching Up: We’ll ask about your overall health and discuss any changes in your medication use or medical status.

Periodontal Charting: We’ll measure the gum pockets around your teeth to determine your susceptibility to periodontal disease.

Laser Treatment: Later bacterial reduction treatment is a cutting-edge method for minimizing the amount of disease-causing bacteria in your mouth.

Hygiene Education and Training: Your dental health starts at home. We’ll help educate you and your family on proper oral hygiene techniques.

We love to see your children as early as possible! We recommend taking your child in for their visit from the time their first tooth emerges, which is generally before their first birthday. We’ll help your child feel comfortable seeing the dentist early on and provide tips on establishing good oral care at home.

We See Kids of All Ages: We treat patients at every stage of life. We love to see babies, toddlers, school-aged kids, teenagers, and adults!

We’ll Help Them Comfortable: For your child’s first visit, our main goal is to help them feel comfortable at the dentist. We won’t push them to undergo cleanings or procedures that make them scared.

We Provide Essential Dental Hygiene Tools: We understand that as the parent you play a major role in establishing good dental hygiene habits for your child. We’ll provide you with tips and essential dental tools for successful home hygiene.

We Can Talk About Fluoride: We understand that many parents have questions about the effects of fluoride on their child’s health. We suggest fluoride only if we feel your child could benefit from it – not as a required treatment for all our patients. Please ask your questions about fluoride!

After your dental hygienist cleans your teeth and takes note of any potential issues with your dental health, your dentist will perform an extensive examination of your teeth. This portion of your visit is essential for diagnosing any issues and discussing any treatments or lifestyle changes that can improve your oral health.

What Happens During Your Holistic Dental Examination:

Complete Oral Health Check-Up: Your dentist will examine your full oral health, looking for any dental or periodontal concerns, lymph node evaluation, and TMJ evaluation. Your dentist will also review any x-rays of you or your child’s teeth and look for issues with wisdom teeth, emerging adult teeth, bone deterioration, or jaw alignment.

Oral Cancer Screening: We’ll check for common signs of oral cancer, such as lesions, redness, or bleedings gums. Oral cancer is a serious condition but is highly preventable if found early. Your dentist will often be the first person to detect the early signs of cancer in the lips, mouth, tongue, gums, or throat.

Initial Diagnosis and Treatment Review: We’ll keep a close lookout for signs that your oral health is suffering. If we notice any issues or need to investigate further, we’ll discuss the next steps with you. This may include a follow-up consultation, x-rays, or other diagnostic tests. If you’ve previously had dental work done, we’ll also check in on your progress and determine if we need to make any changes to your treatment plan.

X-rays are a vital diagnostic tool for evaluating the overall health of your mouth and diagnosing cavities, poor bone volume, or any other anomalies. Digital X-rays are a healthier, more advanced method for imaging that provides your dentist with the full picture of your oral health.

How We Make X-Rays as Safe as Possible for Your Health:

Minimal Radiation: Digital x-rays are a safer diagnostic choice and use 80% less radiation than traditional dental x-rays.

Lead Apron & Thyroid Collar: We limit your exposure to radiation by placing a lead apron and thyroid collar on you during the entire process.

Patient Health Review: We’ll discuss your medical history and may limit the numbers of x-rays we take based on your health.

Sealants are a thin, plastic coating that seals the fissures and pits of a natural tooth. This seal is often placed on newly erupted adult teeth and helps protect the tooth from decay.

Quick Procedure: Dental sealants are a simple process and do not require any anesthesia to be used. Your child will feel little to no discomfort or pain during the procedure.

Cavity Protection: Sealants are a very effective safeguard against cavities, protecting the teeth from 80% of cavities for 2 years after they are applied.

Transparent: Sealants are made from a plastic coating that is designed to blend in with your child’s teeth.