Dental Cleanings Los Alamitos
There are many options available today to treat dental issues, but the most important thing you can do for your teeth is to visit your dentist regularly for a hygiene visit and examination.
While Los Alamitos dentist Dr. Edward Luong is proud to offer his patients a comprehensive range of metal-free dental treatments, the best way to keep your teeth healthy is through prevention and early detection of developing dental issues.
But I Brush Every Day! Why Do I Need a Cleaning?
Even the most conscientious home care for your teeth isn't enough to keep them healthy and strong over time. There are areas your toothbrush and floss just can't reach, especially in the back of your mouth and between the teeth, and areas that are particularly susceptible to problems, such as along the gumline.
A professional cleaning done by a trained hygienist will help keep even these hard-to-reach areas healthy and decay-free. Regular hygiene visits also help to control the occurrence of tartar, a hard yellowish plaque that can build up on your teeth over time and resists even the best brushing efforts, leaving your teeth susceptible to cavities, gum disease, and other problems. Removal of this tartar not only keeps your teeth healthier but can help freshen your breath and brighten your smile.
You should visit your dentist in Los Alamitos at least once every six months for a professional cleaning and checkup. For some patients, such as those who are particularly vulnerable to gum disease or tartar build-up, we may recommend more frequent cleanings. Regular professional cleanings can help save you time, money, and painful tooth problems down the road!
Regular Examinations Catch Problems Early
During your hygiene visit, we will dedicate a full hour to making sure your mouth is in good shape. In addition to your professional cleaning, Dr. Luong will perform a thorough dental exam. We will check your gums for early signs of gum disease or oral cancer, take updated x-rays if necessary, and inspect each tooth for signs of decay or other dental issues. If problems are found, we will work with you to create a personalized treatment plan to clear up these issues before they can progress into bigger problems.
Dr. Luong and his team believe the best dental care we can offer to every patient begins with regular cleanings and examinations. Keeping your teeth looking and feeling their best is what we're here for. These regular visits also give you an opportunity to ask questions about your oral health, including questions about products and techniques to use in your home care routine, diet adjustments you can make for healthier teeth or anything else you might be curious about.
Keep Your Teeth Healthy. Schedule Your Next Hygiene Visit!
If you are overdue for a cleaning and examination, or you have any other oral health concerns, contact our Los Alamitos dental office and schedule your next appointment as soon as possible.
Thank You for Your Excellent Care
Dear Dr. Luong and staff,
Thank you for the cheerful comfort you supplied on my first visit to your office. In the past, I have had some pretty anxious moments in dental offices, especially during my early years growing up. In addition, I had to leave my former dentist after about 35 years (est.), upon his recent retirement. I was pleasantly surprised to find my visit such an inviting and enjoyable experience. You, and your office staff, are most welcoming. This reflects a low stress environment and has a calming effect. I just wanted to let you know.
Thank you for your excellent care. It was comforting to know that my teeth and gums were doing well and that I am now in "a maintenance phase" of dental care. I will try to keep up my end with flossing, which I have not done very consistently. Jessica said that my gums looked quite pink and that I must be doing a good job with the flossing. That was music to my ears!
Best wishes to you and your staff each and every day.
Sincerely,
Michael
Frequently Asked Questions
Dental anxiety is actually very common, so you're not alone! Dr. Luong and our dental team are experienced in helping anxious patients relax and putting you at ease. Don't let dental anxiety keep you from getting the care you need! Let us help!
We offer pillows and blankets to make you comfortable, music by Pandora, and television and movies through Netflix while you're in the dentist's chair. Many patients find that having music to listen to or their favorite movie to watch helps them relax and makes the appointment seem to go by quickly!
For more extreme cases of dental anxiety, we offer anxiety-free dentistry. We prescribe a mild sedative to be taken approximately an hour before your appointment. This allows you to be relaxed and calm during your dental treatment, but you are still completely conscious and able to respond to the dentist. If you are using this treatment to relieve your dental anxiety, make sure you arrange to have someone drive you to and from your appointment, as the sedative will take a few hours to wear off.
If you have been putting off a visit to the dentist because of anxiety, call our Los Alamitos dental office today to find out more about how we can help.
The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) recommends your child have their first dental visit when they get their first tooth or by the age of one year, whichever comes first. During the first visit, your child will get to "ride in the chair" and learn about the sights, sounds, and smells of our office so they can create positive associations with visiting the dentist.
Dr. Luong will meet with you and discuss brushing as your child's teeth come in, how to develop good oral habits from a young age, how to brush your child's emerging teeth, bottle use, thumb sucking, and any other relevant information. If you have questions about your child's oral health, we'll be happy to answer them during this first "well patient" visit. During subsequent visits, we can teach your child proper brushing habits as they grow old enough to manage this on their own.
"Baby bottle tooth decay," or early childhood caries, is a growing concern in younger patients. It's important to take care of your child's teeth from the start, as baby teeth serve many important functions and it's vital to preserve them and keep them healthy. Missing baby teeth can cause permanent teeth to shift and grow in crooked or with gaps, as well as causing unnecessary pain for your child from infections and extractions.
If your child has recently had their first tooth come in or is over one year old and has not yet seen a dentist, call today to schedule their first appointment with Los Alamitos dentist Dr. Luong.
Dr. Luong is a minimalist dentist, so we will not take x-rays if they are unnecessary. Each patient is different, so the frequency of x-rays depends on the patient's needs and dental condition. Bite-wings may be needed as often as every six months in cases such as a teenager with high caries risk, or as seldom as every 18 months for an adult who has had some fillings before but no cavities in a while.
Our Los Alamitos dental office uses digital x-ray technology, which offers many benefits to both the patient and the dentist. The digital x-ray process uses up to 90% less radiation than traditional x-rays, and most patients find the digital sensor more comfortable than the older bite-wing films that were inserted directly into the mouth.
Digital x-rays also offer faster and better diagnostics. The x-ray can be pulled up on a monitor almost immediately and can be enlarged to see details that may be missed in a traditional x-ray. We can also use the monitor display of your x-rays to help you better understand what is happening inside your mouth, so you can make more informed and better choices about your dental care and feel confident in your decisions.
If you would like to learn more about the digital x-ray technology we offer or you need to schedule an appointment, call us today!
Dr. Luong recommends a professional cleaning and examination at least every six months to ensure good oral health. Some patients with greater dental conditions or other health problems that can affect the health of your teeth may be advised to see our hygienist even more frequently, every four months, three months, or even every other month depending on your personal situation and oral care needs.
Regular professional teeth cleanings by a trained dental hygienist are crucial to your oral health. Even the most conscientious brushers can't reach every tooth surface with a toothbrush and floss. Our trained hygienist will make sure that whatever you missed while brushing your teeth every day is thoroughly debrided and cleaned.
Professional cleanings also help to keep tartar under control, something that can't be achieved with regular brushing. Tartar forms a hard, yellow crust on your teeth that no amount of brushing can remove. Our experienced hygienists can remove tartar to help prevent gum disease and keep your teeth both looking and feeling healthy. Cleanings also allow us to monitor for other issues that can develop, such as gum disease and oral cancer. Catching these issues early makes treatment much easier for you and offers a better potential outcome.
If you are overdue for a professional teeth cleaning, call today to schedule an appointment at our Los Alamitos dental office.
There are many dental diseases that are silent killers. Periodontal disease, or gum disease, may not cause any pain or give you any signs until it is too late and irreversible damage has been done to your teeth and gums. Dental cavities may not ache until it is too late and you need root canal therapy or an extraction.
With regular examinations and cleanings, we can catch these potentially large problems early and offer you a much more conservative treatment. By finding decay early, a small filling can be used to treat a cavity before it can grow and make its way deeper into your tooth. Gum disease in its early stages is very treatable with scaling and root planing, but left untreated it can lead to infections, tooth loss, and a need for surgery to repair the damage.
Keeping your teeth clean and healthy will make you feel better, too! There's nothing like the feeling of clean, shiny teeth after a professional cleaning, or a clean bill of health after your dental exam. If you are overdue for a cleaning and check-up, call our Los Alamitos dental office today to schedule an appointment.
Meet Our Doctor:
Edward Luong DMD
Dr. Edward Luong grew up in southern California in Westminster until his family moved to Riverside in 1987, where he attended high school and did his undergraduate work. Dr. Luong received a Bachelor's degree in Biology from the University of California Riverside in 2000. He went on to Tufts University to complete his Doctorate in Medical Dentistry, graduating with his DMD in 2005.
In dental school, Dr. Luong was in the Honors Program and received the "Best Hands" award in his pre-clinical class there. He was also a student teacher on ...