Comprehensive Care
At Neil Starr DDS PC, we do more than just take care of your teeth and gums. We take care of your overall physical and mental health as well. To do this, We provide comprehensive care. With comprehensive care, we look at your teeth, your gums, the soft tissues of your mouth, the muscles of your mouth, and your jaw. Comprehensive care involves several components.
Patient HistoryBefore your treatment even begins, we take a complete patient history. This in-depth interview allows us to assess your dental goals. We will ask you questions regarding your past dental health, your medical health, and your emotional health. This involves asking questions about the health of immediate family members to assess your risk for certain conditions. While it may be hard to believe, your emotional health (your feelings and your past experiences) can play a major role in the type of dental care you receive. As a part of providing you with the best possible oral care, we aim to provide treatment that will address your dental and your emotional needs. For instance, if you suffer from dental anxiety (due to a bad experience in the past), this will be taken into consideration.
ImagingThere is more to your mouth than can be seen with the naked eye. While the condition of your teeth and your gums are important, so too are the conditions of the areas we cannot see with a visual inspection. For this reason, we will take a complete set of dental images. These images (x-rays) will allow us to see the hidden structures of your mouth. We can check between your teeth (inspecting for cavities), as well as below your gums. Under your gums, we can see the condition of your jawbone (assessing its strength), the condition of your periodontal ligaments (the structures that hold your teeth firmly in place), and the condition of the roots of your teeth. We can also inspect for alignment issues, impacted teeth, cysts, abscesses, and more. Dental images help to provide us with a complete picture of the condition of your mouth.
Dental LabTo provide you with the best possible care, you may require dental restorations (such as crowns or implants). These restorations are created in our on-site lab. The information that we gather from your oral exam, along with digital impressions of your mouth, is used to create your customized restorations. The shape of your mouth, your bite, the color of your teeth, and other information are all used to make restorations that will fit perfectly into your mouth and blend in seamlessly with the rest of your smile.
Follow-upThere is more to providing you care than simply evaluating the health of your mouth and providing you with any necessary treatments and restorations (crowns, inlays/onlays, dental implants). To ensure that the treatment(s) we have provided are working as they should, we also provide follow-up exams. These exams are used to check how you are adjusting after treatment and ensure success. Follow-ups will also allow us to see if there are any issues, and allow us to make any necessary adjustments or corrections.
To learn more about our comprehensive care, call Neil Starr DDS PC today at (202) 293-7177. |
