Washington Preventive Dental Services
Preserving a healthy and thriving smile is a much simpler task than rebuilding a damaged one later on, and our doctors would love nothing more than to be your trusted partner as you work towards this lifelong goal. Our preventive services are designed to not only catch dental problems at their earliest stages but also stop potential concerns in their tracks before they have the chance to develop into anything dangerous. Contact our dental office today if you’re ready to schedule first visits for you and your family! Dr. David Vaughan and Dr. Alicia Yokum all look forward to meeting you.
Dental Checkups & Teeth Cleanings
Even patients who practice diligent oral hygiene can end up falling victim to dental problems that evade the untrained eye. That’s why attending a routine check-up and cleaning every six months is so important! During these visits, our doctors and staff members work hard to achieve a thorough understanding of your dental needs through examinations, digital X-rays, and screenings. Once we’ve done so, we can sit down with you and discuss possible treatment options that fit your schedule, budget, and personal preferences.
A cleaning with one of our trusted hygienists is also important when it comes to maintaining healthy, happy teeth and gums. Plaque is constantly forming on your teeth, threatening decay and developing into hard deposits known as tartar. Our staff can thoroughly remove this bacteria-filled substance and keep your smile feeling refreshed.
Pediatric Dental Care
It’s never too early to develop a positive attitude toward dental care! Our Washington, PA staff is happy to see your whole family including the youngest members for comfortable, comprehensive treatment. Our pediatric approach is fine-tuned to be as gentle and friendly as possible so children feel at ease, and we’ll be sure to let parents know if we find any developmental problems or hygiene concerns that need further attention.
Dental Sealants
Dental sealants are a simple, painless treatment option that can be perfect for children who are still in the process of learning how to effectively brush their teeth. Some teeth can be tricky to keep clean, especially the ones in the back with deep chewing grooves that catch bacteria and food particles. Dental sealants provide extra protection by “sealing” these areas and minimizing the risk of cavities. They may also be a good choice for adults who suffer from teeth that are oversensitive to tooth decay.
TMJ Therapy
If you are suffering from pain in your jaw joints, occasional ”locking” of your jaw, headaches, muscle tightness or if you notice worn and broken teeth, we have strategies that we have developed over many years of study to provide solutions to your problems in this area.
Sportsguards
Do you or a loved one play a sport where contact with other people and/or hard objects is possible? Your smile could be at risk without the proper protection. Our doctors offer quality, personalized sportsguards that are a big step up from the one-size-fits-all models you’d find at an athletics store allowing for more comfort and ease of movement as you give the game your all. Some studies have even shown that the regular use of a sportsguard can lessen the severity of concussions!
Oral Cancer Screenings
Oral cancer is a dangerous disease that often goes undiagnosed until its advanced stages leading to high fatality rates. Here in Washington, PA, our staff does their part to protect patients by providing screenings as a crucial part of every check-up. We’ll carefully inspect the oral tissue for slowly healing sores, white or red patches, lumps, crusted areas, and other telltale symptoms that indicate cancerous cells. If we discover something suspicious, the next step will be a biopsy. If oral cancer is caught early enough, the chances of a full recovery are significantly higher.
Digital X-Rays
In the past, dental offices relied on traditional film X-rays to determine what was going on underneath the surface of a patient’s smile. Today, our doctors and staff members are happy to offer a more sophisticated tool – digital radiography. With this technology, we’ve eliminated the need for darkroom development and bulky filing systems; instead, the X-rays are captured and stored in our computer system in a matter of seconds, readily available for easy viewing. Radiation exposure is reduced by up to 90% as well!