Preventive Dentistry
At Vermont Hills Family Dental, we believe in being proactive rather than reactive. It is far easier for you and your family if we can help you avoid dental problems rather than looking for a solution after they’ve already damaged your smile.
Patients in Portland who follow preventive dentistry enjoy the benefits of a healthy smile by staying a step ahead of conditions like gingivitis and cavities. Simply by maintaining dental exams and cleanings every six months—or as recommended—you too can avoid these problems and many others.
Preventive Dental Exams Every Six Months
Dr. Christine Brown is an experienced dentist in Vermont Hills who takes pride in the trusting relationships she develops with her patients. She enjoys catching up with her patients and sharing a laugh and a story as much as she enjoys providing them with exceptional clinical dentistry.
We recommend dental examinations at our Portland dental office every six months because this frequency allows us to monitor your dental health and stay a step ahead of problems. Dr. Brown will ask you about any concerns you have or issues that developed since your last visit.
She will check your teeth and gums to see if they are healthy and may recommend a digital x-ray to detect cavities between teeth. During this appointment, our dentist will also check your dental bite and perform an oral cancer screening.
How We Use Dental Technology
As professionals whose patients count on us for treatment recommendations, it's our obligation to stay current with the latest advances in dental technology. We use technology to improve the comfort and efficiency of your care and to keep our patients engaged and involved.
Intraoral cameras and digital x-rays both make it easy for you to understand what's happening with your oral health. Our Hillsdale dentist uses them to help inform and educate you so that you can make confident decisions about your dental care.
Professional Teeth Cleanings for Healthy Gums
Dental cleanings with a hygienist go hand-in-hand with exams and help us stay current with the health of your teeth and gums. Our skilled hygienist provides comprehensive gum care, including maintenance cleanings and specialized periodontal treatment.
As part of your cleaning, we will check your gum health by measuring the periodontal pockets. These are the spaces between your teeth and gums that collect bacteria and cause the infection we call gum disease.
If we do find evidence of gingivitis or periodontitis, we'll explain why treatment is crucial and recommend the appropriate type of cleaning. With gingivitis, a routine dental cleaning is often enough to get rid of the infection. Periodontitis is the advanced form of gum disease and will require a specialized deep cleaning called scaling and root planing.
Book an Appointment to Keep Your Smile Healthy
Preventing dental problems like cavities and gum disease is easy when you follow the advice of your Portland dentist and schedule appointments every six months. You will enjoy the benefits of a healthy smile, fewer emergency visits to the dentist, and reduced dental costs as a result.
Call the team at Vermont Hills Family Dental to schedule your next dental exam and cleaning.
Both Dr. Brown and her team know how to put a patient at ease
Dr. Christine Brown was recommended to me by a friend, and I would like to pass my own recommendation on. Not only is Dr. Brown a thorough dentist (she corrected long-neglected areas of dental work in my mouth), but an artist as well, giving beautiful results to all of her work. Dr. Brown's staff all are trained, service-oriented professionals who work great together as a team. Both Dr. Brown and her team know how to put a patient at ease with their caring, compassionate, and fun chair-side manners.
Margaret
Frequently Asked Questions
The answer depends on your current oral health. If you have been proactive with routine exams and cleanings in the past, you may require only a maintenance cleaning or prophylaxis. In this case, we may have enough time to complete it on your first visit.
Typically, we schedule first visits with Dr. Brown who likes to spend some time learning if you have any concerns you would like us to address. Your appointment time is devoted exclusively to you, so you can be confident that you have our undivided attention.
She will perform a thorough examination that includes digital x-rays and periodontal probing to look for evidence of gum disease. It’s only after conducting this evaluation that we can determine which type of teeth cleaning is appropriate for your needs.
If you have noticed bleeding when you brush or puffy, inflamed gums, you probably have gingivitis. This is the earliest stage of gum disease, and a simple cleaning to remove plaque and tartar may be all you need.
For periodontal disease that is more advanced, you may require scaling and root planing, also referred to as deep cleaning. In this case, we would schedule you for a separate appointment when we have plenty of time to do a thorough job.
If you are due for your six-month cleaning or it’s been a while, and you have some catching up to do, please call Vermont Hills Family Dental. We look forward to helping you maintain your healthiest smile.
Meet Our Doctor:
Dr. Christine Brown
"I love dentistry because it combines artistry with science and the opportunity to meet people from all different backgrounds. I love that every day is different and there are always new things to learn."
Dr. Christine Brown is a native Oregonian and received her Bachelor’s degree in speech and hearing sciences from Portland State University. With a desire to be in a profession where she could help people, she attended Oregon Health Sciences University and received her Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) in 2001.
Dr. Brown is dedicated to continually improving her ...