Preventative Family Dentistry

At Kincheloe and Tonso Family Dentistry, we are proud to offer a wide array of outstanding dental procedures to patients of all ages.

As a family-oriented practice, we believe that learning oral hygiene skills early in life can help to ensure lifelong oral health. From happy visits, oral hygiene instruction to applying sealants, our pediatric dental services aid our young patients in learning the right way to maintain a healthy smile as they lose their baby teeth and develop permanent teeth.  We continue to teach proper technique for brushing and flossing as our patients age into teenagers and young adults. 

Pediatrics

A child's first visit to the dentist should be enjoyable. Children are not born with a natural fear of the dentist, but they can fear the unknown. Our office makes a special effort to use pleasant, non-frightening, simple words to describe each treatment. We want you and your child to feel at ease from the moment your family arrives at our office.

Your child's first primary or baby teeth will begin to erupt between the ages of six and 12 months, and will continue to erupt until about age three. Your child's primary teeth are shed at various times throughout childhood. Permanent teeth begin erupting at age six, and continue until age 21. Adults have 28 permanent teeth (32, including wisdom teeth).

Brushing can be fun, and your child should brush as soon as the first tooth arrives. When a baby's tooth erupts, parents should brush the tooth with a soft-bristled toothbrush and a pea-sized amount of toothpaste. For children younger than two, do not use fluoride toothpaste unless advised to do so by your dentist or other healthcare professional. We suggest reviewing proper tooth brushing procedures with your child.

Flossing is also a part of good oral hygiene habits, and your doctor will discuss with you the right time to start flossing. If you notice signs of decay, contact your dentist immediately.

Tooth decay is caused by sugars left in your mouth that turn into an acid, which can break down your teeth. Children are at high risk for tooth decay for a simple reason: many children and adolescents do not practice regular, good oral hygiene habits. Proper brushing and flossing routines combined with regular dental visits help keep tooth decay away.  We recommend fluoride treatments twice a year along with cleanings to keep teeth their strongest. Tooth sealants are also recommended because they "seal" the deep grooves in your child's teeth, preventing decay from forming in these hard-to-reach areas. Sealants last for several years, but will be monitored at your child's regular checkups.

Adults

We practice preventative dental care and are regularly asked why it is so important. Virtually everyone is at risk for tooth decay. Tooth decay is so common that it is the number one infectious disease among children in the United States. Additionally, according to the NIH, 92 percent of adults ages 20 to 64, have had a cavity. With odds like these, the reason for having your teeth cleaned become fairly clear. Simultaneously, we know that there is a direct link between visiting the dentist regularly and maintaining your adult teeth as you age. A Gallup study found that in states like Connecticut, where 74 percent of the adult population visits the dentist regularly, complete adult tooth loss is very low – 10 percent. However, in states where people don't visit the dentist regularly, like West Virginia, complete tooth loss is incredibly high (up to 37 percent). The facts paint a bleak picture for those that don't visit the dentist on a regular basis. However, the good news is that you can prevent cavities and tooth loss by simply scheduling preventative dental care appointments.

It’s Your Time

According to the Center for Disease Control, around 164 million work hours are missed every single year due to dental issues. If you don't have time for the dentist, this should be cause for concern. Not taking an hour to have your teeth cleaned can cause you to become part of that statistic. If you have a demanding job or a busy life with the kids, you don't have time to be preoccupied with a dental emergency or severe toothache. The only way to prevent one, however, is to brush and floss at home and to visit our office for preventative dental care. A regular dental exam and teeth cleaning takes an hour. We will work within your schedule, making it easy to schedule a dental appointment. We encourage you to take the time now so that you don't have to spend more time dealing with an emergency later on.

Preventative Dental Care Can Save You Money

In addition to helping, you avoid a nasty toothache and saving you time, preventative dental care can also save you money. We can treat your tooth decay or infected tooth, regardless of how minor or severe the problem is.  We believe that it’s always better to prevent rather than to cure or repair. Not only do regular checkups and cleanings help protect against dental pain and disease, it protects the health of your wallet as well. Waiting until you feel the problem to see a dentist may wind up costing you more, because other treatments may be necessary to deal with the damage or infection.


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Our Regular Schedule

Monday:

7:00 am-3:00 pm

Tuesday:

7:00 am-3:00 pm

Wednesday:

7:00 am-3:00 pm

Thursday:

7:00 am-3:00 pm

Friday:

7:00 am-12:00 pm

Saturday:

Closed

Sunday:

Closed