Dental Checkups: Because a Great Smile Needs Strong Teeth

You use your teeth for everything: to chew food, to finish thread, to say the letter “t”.  Doesn’t it make sense to take care of them?  The risk of Covid-19 may have gotten you off-track with dental checkups, but San Fernando Community Health Center wants you to know it’s safe to come back to our dental clinic.

Why Checkups Are Important

The American Dental Association recommends seeing your dentist every six months.  At these checkups, the dentist performs an exam and takes x-rays to check for cavities, cracks, or chips in your teeth.  These are all damage to your teeth that you might not notice yourself and are better treated sooner rather than later.  SFCHC dentists also check for oral cancer, which causes sores in the mouth and even loose teeth.  A dental checkup includes a cleaning to remove tartar, the hard stuff that doesn’t come off with brushing and flossing.  (Unchecked tartar buildup can lead to painful gum disease, or gingivitis.)  Finally, fluoride is usually applied to protect your teeth until your next visit.  It’s pretty clear why the ADA advises regular checkups by a professional: even if you could find all this equipment on Amazon, where would you keep it?

Your dentist is also your partner in helping you protect your teeth year-round.  You know to brush your teeth regularly and floss daily, but they can suggest other good habits you may not know, like

• Limiting sugary or acidic food (fruit) & drinks (fruit juice, most carbonated beverages)
• Wearing a mouth guard while playing sports
• If you grind your teeth while sleeping, wearing a night guard
• Not using your teeth to open containers
• Not chewing hard candy or ice

In other words, use scissors on those stubborn ketchup packets, and only use half as many.

How We Make Checkups Safe

You may have concerns about Covid-19: it spreads through noses and mouths close to each other, and isn’t that exactly what happens at a dental checkup?  We understand, and we’re excited about the upgrades we’ve made in our clinic to reduce the risk:

• All our staff wear head-to-toe PPE – gowns, gloves, KN95 masks, eye protection, and face shields – for both your protection and theirs.
• Every exam room is now a negative pressure room, like those in hospitals. The system removes contaminated air to prevent airborne bacteria and viruses from spreading.
• We’ve added Jade, a medical-grade air filtration system that kills germs and viruses.
• To sterilize our dental equipment, we now use state-of-the-art autoclave sterilizers. These machines use steam and pressure to kill bacteria, fungi, spores, and viruses, including Covid-19.
• We’ve installed extraoral suction systems that absorb the aerosols and droplets leaving a patient’s mouth. “Spit vacuum” to the rescue!

Dental checkups are recommended, safe, and even affordable.  SFCHC accepts over a dozen insurance plans and offers services on a sliding fee scale based on household size and income.  So, keep your bubble-gum blowing skills on point: get back on track with dental checkups in the clinic at SFCHC.

It's safe to go back to the dentist at our Clinic. Don't put it off if you need care.

Author

Heather Hillstrom For several years, Heather Hillstrom has proudly provided copywriting and videography services to support SFCHC's mission of compassionate care for all who need it. She gained much of her experience and education at prominent advertising and marketing firms, with clients in healthcare, real estate, medical technology, and environmental products and activism, among others. Her writing portfolio includes DVD/Blu-ray bonus features for Paramount’s RANGO and Disney’s LOST, nearly all the content for the latter’s companion website Lost University, and a radio and television campaign that aired during the Olympics. She wrote on the multi-award-winning web series NONE IN THE OVEN and her feature script HIT OR STAND was a Second Rounder at Austin Film Festival and a PAGE Awards quarterfinalist. Many of her projects and awards can be viewed at www.hungrypictures.com.