Brenner Dental Care | New Patient Information

Dentistry is the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of conditions, disorders, and diseases of the teeth, gums, mouth, and jaw. Considered necessary for complete oral health, dentistry can have an impact on the health of your entire body.

A dentist is a specialist who works to diagnose, treat, and prevent oral health problems. Your dentist has completed at least eight years of specialized schooling and received either a Doctor of Dental Surgery degree, or a Doctor of Dental Medicine degree. If your doctor is a pediatric dentist, this means they specialize in caring for children from infancy through their teen years. Your dentist has received the proper education and training needed to work with young kids.

Visiting the dentist regularly will not only help keep your teeth and mouth healthy but will also help keep the rest of your body healthy.

Dental care:

• Helps prevent tooth decay
• Protects against periodontal (gum) disease, which can lead to tooth and bone loss
• Prevents bad breath (brushing, flossing, and seeing the dentist regularly will reduce the amount of bad-breath causing bacteria in your mouth)
• Gives you a more attractive smile and increases your self-confidence
• Helps keep teeth looking bright by preventing them from becoming stained by food, drinks, and tobacco
• Strengthens your teeth so you can enjoy a healthy, beautiful smile for the rest of your life

Your teeth may feel fine, but it’s still important to see the dentist regularly because problems can exist without you knowing. Your smile’s appearance is also important, and your dentist can help keep your smile healthy and looking beautiful. With so many advances in dentistry, you no longer have to settle for stained, chipped, missing, or misshapen teeth.

• Member of the American Dental Association
• Convenient appointment schedule
• Free consultations
• Convenient location
• Clean and orderly office
• Thorough examination, including medical history
• Explains preventive and proactive care
• Presents cost information before scheduling treatment

• ALWAYS remember to brush your teeth at least twice a day and floss at least once.
• Make sure to use toothpaste that contains fluoride and ask your dentist if you need a fluoride rinse. This will help prevent cavities.
• Avoid foods with a lot of sugar (sugar increases the amount of bacteria that grow in your mouth, causing more plaque and possibly cavities) and avoid tobacco (which can stain your teeth, cause gum disease, and eventually lead to oral cancer).
• Don’t be afraid to brush your tongue! By brushing your tongue, you will remove food particles and reduce plaque-causing bacteria. Tongue brushing also helps keep your breath fresh.
• Only use a toothbrush with SOFT bristles.
• Be sure to schedule routine checkups. It is recommended that you visit the dentist every six months.

We recommend most patients see us every six months. Patients with certain oral health concerns may need to see us every 4 months.

Plaque-causing bacteria in the mouth produce acids that eat away at tooth enamel. If the bacteria and plaque aren’t removed regularly, they accumulate, producing more acid and eventually eating a hole in the tooth. That hole is called a cavity.

A filling is a restorative treatment to fill in a cavity to reinforce the tooth’s structure and prevent more damage.

We recommend brushing your teeth at least twice a day, once in the morning and once at night before going to bed. For added protection, brush your teeth after every meal.

With normal brushing, you should change your toothbrush about every 90 days. Always get a new toothbrush after you’ve been sick with any viral or bacterial infection, like a cold or the flu. We also recommend changing your toothbrush if you notice the bristles are frayed or flattened — which may be a sign you’re brushing your teeth too hard.

Gum disease is an infection of the gum tissue. It causes your gums to look red and swollen. Your gums may bleed when you brush and floss your teeth. As gum disease progresses, the gums will begin to recede, exposing the sensitive roots of your teeth. If not treated, some teeth may become loose or fall out.

Yes! With braces, it’s especially important to visit us every six months because plaque can accumulate around brackets and fixed appliances, and it may be more difficult to clean your teeth as well as you normally would.

Call us at (206) 258-7995 or request an appointment online, and one of our team members will get in touch with you shortly.