General Dentistry |

Dental Exams

Keep your smile beautiful and healthy!

Dentistry at The Biltmore in Phoenix, AZ, knows regular dental examinations are an important part of preventive health care. We have seen many patients needlessly suffer from minor dental health issues that became major problems because they failed to have regular exams.

A dental exam will help detect and identify oral health problems such as tooth decay, gum disease, and others before they become serious and painful. When caught early, dental health problems are more manageable and require less extensive and less expensive treatments.

How often should one have a dental exam?

Regular exams keep your smile healthy and beautiful. The American Dental Association (ADA) recommends a minimum of two dental exams every year. Having an exam every six months provides an opportunity for your dentist to find signs of trouble before they develop further.

Dentistry at The Biltmore understands every patient is different and has unique needs. That’s why Dr. Leila may recommend more or fewer appointments. Your age, lifestyle, risk factors, and general oral and dental health are factors that are considered.

However, don’t just depend on regular dental exams to keep your teeth and mouth healthy. Your preventive dentistry efforts play an important role as well. Self-care, like brushing twice daily and flossing daily, is essential in ensuring that you have optimal oral and dental health.

What does my dental exam include?

A comprehensive clinical dental examination at Dentistry at the Biltmore includes:

Head and Neck examination:

Cancer exam
Facial exam
Palpation of chewing muscles
Palpation of lymph nodes
Exam of the temporomandibular (jaw) joint

Clinical Dental Examination:

Periodontal exam (Gum health)
Mobility of teeth
Mucous membranes & saliva
Occlusion (bite)
Oral Cancer Screening
Removable orthodontic appliance exam
Contact between teeth
A full set of digital X-rays

Dental Cleaning (Prophylaxis):

Full mouth debridement (initial removal of plaque and tartar)
Periodontal maintenance (removal of plaque and tartar above and below the gum line)
Deep tissue cleanings (scaling and root planning)
Arestin localized antibiotic administered in the periodontal pocket (space between the tooth and gums)
Laser bacterial reductions
Antimicrobial irrigations
Dry mouth treatment
Teeth Polishing
Flossing
Fluoride varnish

Digital Dental X-ray (Schick 33)

In line with Dentistry at The Biltmore’s commitment to using cutting-edge technology to improve our service, your comfort, and dental health, we use Schick 33 digital X-ray equipment.

Unlike old fashioned film-based X-rays, where you have to wait for the film to be developed, Schick 33 is digital. The X-ray image of your teeth is sent to directly our computer. There we can view immediately the condition of your teeth and mouth.

The high resolution of digital images and image enhancement tools allows us to make a diagnosis. faster, better, and easier than traditional X-rays. Schick 33 is also safer requiring significantly less radiation than film, something patients definitely care about.

Following your exam, Dr. Leila will discuss a detailed treatment plan, if necessary. One of our friendly receptionists will schedule a follow-up visit for you.

Silver Diamine Fluoride

Dentistry at The Biltmore’s silver diamine fluoride treatment is an advanced, easy, cost-effective, and simple procedure that directly inhibits and prevents the development of caries. We were one of the first offices in the valley to implement this procedure 6 years ago when it was first FDA approved. Learn more.

2nd Opinions

If you’re uncomfortable with a diagnosis from your dentist, there is nothing wrong with getting a second opinion and feedback from other dentists. You trust and like your dentist, but each practitioner is different. Their education, postgraduate work, specialties, diagnostic equipment, and experiences will shape their diagnosis.

Seeking a second opinion can help you feel more confident you’re getting the recommended treatment or find there is a better or more affordable solution. There are alternative approaches to many dental issues. If you feel like you want a second opinion about your dental health, please contact us and we can schedule an exam and give you our opinion.

Dental Recare

You may be very busy trying to keep your house in order, taking care of your children, working late, and many other things. We all have so much to do to take care of our family’s and maintain our lifestyle. With all this going on you may simply not think about or forget about calling to make another appointment with our office.

Whether you are ignoring a dental problem and prognosticating due to your busy lifestyle or are due for a regular dental exam, you need to take time for your dental health. For our patients that are due, a little overdue, or completely past due for their next appointment, Dentistry at The Biltmore has implemented a “Recare” program.

Recare ensures that our patient’s dental health is maintained over a period of time by managing and detecting oral diseases that may develop if not discovered and addressed. Many dental issues can be resolved if our patients simply come in on a regular basis.

In our effort to maintain high levels of customer service, once you are enrolled in our patient Recare system, you can be scheduled for follow up appointments. Then you will be reminded of checkups and appointments via phone calls, texts, and emails, at your discretion.

If you wish to no longer receive reminders because you moved out of the area or switched dentists, you can ask us not to contact you anymore. We do hope however to maintain a long-term relationship with our patients and so they may keep their beautiful smile and become part of the Dentistry at the Biltmore family!

Emergency Care

At Dentistry at the Biltmore, we know that dental emergencies happen. Any dental emergency like an injury to the teeth or gums can potentially be serious and should not be ignored. Ignoring a dental problem can increase the risk of permanent damage as well as the need for more extensive and expensive treatment later on.

If you have a dental emergency call us and we will schedule you ASAP. If it is an after-hours emergency call this number (602)956-0740 and we will see if there is available help for you at that time. If not, we can direct you to an alternative provider if the situation is dire. Not every dental situation should be considered an emergency.

In general, any dental problem that needs immediate treatment to stop bleeding, alleviate severe pain, or save a tooth is considered an emergency. This also applies to severe infections that can be life-threatening. If you have any of these symptoms, you may be experiencing a dental emergency. Call us immediately and describe what happened.

Contact us today

Regular dental visits, along with a thorough home care regimen, are key to a lifetime of good oral health. The General dentistry service we offer here can prevent the need for cosmetic or restorative dentistry later in life.