Your teeth and gums need constant maintenance to stay healthy over the years, both in the form of personal oral hygiene at home (brushing and flossing) and regular checkups and cleanings with a trusted dental team. At Sage Family Dentistry, we want to do everything we can to protect you and your loved ones’ smiles from harm, which is why we offer several services that are designed to prevent and treat potential issues as early as possible. This approach can save your family an untold amount of cost, travel, and stress further down the road! To set up a visit with Dr. Sage, please contact us today here in Northgate • Seattle, WA.
Check-Ups & Cleanings
When did you last visit the dentist for a cleaning and checkup? If the answer is “more than six months,” we’d like to encourage you to give our practice a try for this important process. Our team’s trained eyes can discover troubling signs of decay or damage that may have gone unnoticed during your regular brushing routine, as well as issues that may not even be visible on the outer surface of your smile yet!
Dr. Sage takes a comprehensive approach to these appointments, carefully inspecting each tooth, the gum tissue, your resting bite, your jaw health, your risk for oral cancer, any existing restorations like crowns or fillings, and more with the help of digital X-rays. During the hygiene portion of your visit, we’ll remove decay-causing plaque, tartar, and any minor staining that’s occurred between appointments.
Periodontal Therapy
Do you notice blood in your saliva after brushing and flossing at night? Does your gum tissue seem less pink and more red and puffy? These are tell-tale signs that periodontal disease (more commonly known as gum disease) may be present. This oral infection is a very common one, and although it can seem relatively harmless early on, advanced cases will threaten the longevity of your healthy teeth soon enough.
Our practice offers an in-depth cleaning known as scaling and root planing to eliminate harmful bacteria and get your gums back on the right track. We will remove plaque from underneath the gum tissue along the tooth roots, smoothing down rough surfaces that are prime targets for decay-causing accumulations.
Children’s Dentistry
We love seeing whole families here in Seattle – in fact, it’s part of our practice name! If your son or daughter is ready for their first checkup, we hope you’ll choose to trust their growing smile in our hands. All of our team members are very gentle and kind, and Dr. Sage will always take his time to ensure that children have a positive experience in the treatment chair. We offer several services that are perfect for them, including dental sealants, fluoride treatment, and more.
Dental Sealants
Your back teeth (also known as the molars and premolars) have deep pits and grooves along the chewing surfaces, and food particles just love to get trapped in these areas over time. This is especially dangerous for children, who are still learning how to brush these hard-to-reach areas of the mouth. We can lend a helping hand by providing dental sealants, which are made from a safe, plastic-based substance. Once the sealants are painted over the teeth and hardened in place, they’ll block out harmful bacteria and keep the patient’s smile safer.
Nightguards for Bruxism
Bruxism is the proper term for teeth grinding, which many children and adults struggle with on a daily basis. A majority of the patients we see only experience it at night as well, when they’re sleeping and blissfully unaware of the damage they’re doing to their smile. If we notice signs of dental wear-and-tear, Dr. Sage may recommend a nightguard in order to prevent further harm. This custom-made appliance will provide a barrier between the rows of the teeth that minimizes any contact.
Oral Cancer Screening
Oral cancer may not be as widely discussed in the dentist’s office as cavities and gum disease, but it’s still a threat that our team is always on the lookout for. As a part of regular checkups, Dr. Sage will screen your mouth, head, and neck for symptoms of cancerous cells, such as strange sores or lumps. The earlier we can discover this cancer and help you diagnose it properly, the better chances are that the recovery process will be successful.
Fluoride Treatment
Fluoride is a natural mineral that’s regularly added to toothpastes, mouthwashes, and even the water coming out of your kitchen sink. This is good news for your teeth, which actually become stronger and less prone to cavities with a safe amount of exposure to fluoride. Dr. Sage offers professional fluoride treatments here in-office as well for both children and adults who may benefit from an added dose.