William Kelly Dentistry’s preventative program is centered around the hygiene team. Most patients closely identify with routine six-month dental cleanings and periodic exams to find minor problems. Dr. Kelly’s hygiene program is similar, but is intrinsically linked to his practice philosophy, serving to support his vision for providing restoration and maintenance of patients in health. The hygiene program is small matching the relationship based nature of his practice as a whole. With regular visits, individual attention given to patients needs can be maintained in their journey to become and stay healthy.

Not all visits to the dental hygienist are the same

Dr. Kelly’s hygiene team offer a variety of preventative and therapeutic services to restore and maintain health, specifically for the gum and bone tissues around teeth. For the the most healthy patients, a prevention visit can be as simple as a prophylactic cleaning that requires light scaling above the gum-line and polishing either with traditional rotary paste polishers or air abrasion polishing. For patients with clinical health changes to their gums and bone, customized hygiene therapies are available to restore health and reduce inflammation.

Periodontal disease, an inflammation of the gums, connective tissue, and bone supporting the teeth, is a cause of tooth loosening, tooth loss, and bad breath- but also has numerous negative effects on overall health. Unmanaged periodontal disease is a contributor many systemic inflammatory diseases including diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Our periodontal therapies include ultrasonic mechanical scaling and the use of glycine air abrasion to remove foreign irritating plaque and calculus from the teeth and root surfaces. These modern techniques are proven more gentle and effective that traditional methods.

A fresh and clean mouth after a thorough gentle hygiene appointment can be likened to many other therapies many consider spa treatments. Within days and weeks of a hygiene visit teeth are whiter, smoother, and gums become more healthy, both in appearance and with less irritated and inflamed tissue. Using air abrasion polishing, stains deep in flossing spaces that cannot be reached with rotary polishers can be removed. This technology is also more gentle to the enamel over the life of a patients teeth by reducing tooth structure removal.

More than anything, Dr. Kelly tries to avoid the common perception that examinations during dental hygiene visits exist to solve major problems. Our hygienists are partners in triaging restorative need and helping to make arrangements for more thorough appointment consultations with Dr. Kelly. As restorative partners, hygienists prepare our patients for their restorative care by ensuring that mouths are healthy and free of inflammation prior to procedures. The outcomes of restorative treatment are greatly improved when patients have the healthiest gums possible.