Dental
Health
A focus on dental health helps you maintain the highest standard of overall health while limiting dental expenditures. When you partner with Dr. Lasley and his team, you’re making an investment that will help protect your smile well into the future. At home, prevention includes brushing and flossing twice daily. But there are other oral hygiene methods that can benefit your unique dental needs. You might be surprised to learn that a certain toothpaste, mouthwash, or specialized toothpick will serve you best and make all the difference in your efforts. Our team can help customize solutions that compliment your daily oral hygiene, resulting in a world of difference in your smile. Your diet also plays a critical role in your oral health as well. Acidic foods and carbonated drinks can accelerate deterioration of your teeth, and then there are certain foods that promote the health of your supporting jawbone and gums. Our team at Carey V. Lasley, DDS believes in combining your efforts and ours for optimum health. And of course, regular dental exams and cleanings are vital in preventing decay and gum disease on top of what you’re already doing at home. Together we can prevent minor issues from becoming major ones. New research shows that your overall health is very closely tied to your dental health. Our staff would love to educate you more about this connection. Fillings
Fillings are a restorative procedure that are done to repair damage done to a tooth due to decay. A composite material is used to restore tooth structure once the decayed area has been removed. Currently, most teeth are treated with bonded tooth colored composite resin fillings. Caught early enough, cavities can be treated easily and painlessly. If not treated, decay can lead to tooth pain and/or infection, requiring root canal treatment or extraction.
Non-Surgical Gum Treatments
The gums, ligaments, and bone around the teeth form the foundation for ones teeth. All structures are also referred to as the periodontium. When the periodontium is not healthy, it jeopardizes the teeth just as a bad foundation would threaten the stability of a house. Signs of unhealthy periodontium (gum disease) may be as follows: gums that are red and bleed easily, persistent bad breath, gums that are pulled away from the tooth, loose teeth, and changes in the position or bite of the teeth. Any of these signs may mean something is wrong. With the proper care, however, it may be possible to return them to a healthy state. This is where appropriate gum treatments come in. If you’re having a problem, come in and see us so we can take care of it right away. The treatment usually involves a deep cleaning or root planing done under a local anesthetic, along with local antibiotic agents. If the gum disease gets too severe it may need to be treated through surgery or extraction. This is why it is important to get it treated at the first sign of a problem.
Bonding
Bonding involves adhering composite resin material that is color matched to the front of the tooth. This is done to repair damage done by decay, to alter the alignment of a tooth, close gaps between teeth, or for cosmetic purposes. First, the surface of the tooth is roughened in order to accept the bonding. A gel is applied to micro etch the tooth surface, and a primer/bond agent is applied so the material adheres to the surface. Then the material itself is placed on the tooth and hardened with intense light. The composite resin material is shaped and polished to get a lustrous finish.
Sealants
This is used to fill in narrow grooves in a tooth that cannot be adequately cleaned by brushing. In some cases, the tooth structure has fine grooves or pits which accumulate plaque, not because the person doesn’t brush, but because they’re too narrow to allow even one bristle into them. These will develop cavities over time, and you don’t want that. So the dentist will brush on a coating that seals the grooves and pits, making it possible to brush off all the plaque and keep your teeth healthy.
X-Rays
This is a focused beam of X-Ray particles through bone which produces an image on special film, showing the structure through which it passed. This gives the familiar black and white images that dentists use to diagnose problems. X-rays are a necessary part of the diagnostic process, and not to use them could lead to undiagnosed disease. Without an X-ray of the whole tooth, and supporting bone and gum tissues, there is no real way to detect infection or pathology that requires attention.
In our office we use digital radiography which allows us to take X-rays using 50-70% less radiation versus conventional X-rays. Coupled with computer monitoring, digital x-ray technology allows us to enhance the images for better diagnosis of any dental concerns.
Contact Us
Phone (360) 866-9500
Email careyvlasley@careyvlasleydds.com
Hours
Monday 7:00am – 6:00pm
Tuesday 7:00am – 6:00pm
Wednesday 7:00am – 6:00pm
Thursday 7:00am – 6:00pm
Our Location
Address
Dr. Carey V. Lasley, DDS
1801 West Bay Drive NW, Suite 101A
Olympia, WA 98502