Reactive dentistry is history! Get to know about gentle, stress-free preventive dental care

At Orange and Magnolia Dental Studio, Dr. Joyce Kahng and the team appreciate that many oral problems never have to happen in the first place! Our studio’s approach in Costa Mesa, California, is patient-centric and preventive dentistry-focused.

The importance of proactive care

Traditionally, patients may have only visited the dentist when toothaches and other problems arose. We believe that it is just too late to be seeing us for exams and other services. Such reactive dentistry is associated with more traumatic dentistry, as well as time-consuming and costly treatment. It is also less focused on preserving natural tissues and more focused on rebuilding tissues with dental materials or, worse yet, leaving gaps in the smile that hasten the process of destructive conditions like bone resorption (bone loss). 

Preventative dentistry, however, is often 100% covered by dental insurance. Even for those patients paying out of pocket, preventive services are largely a fraction of the cost of restorative services such as dental crowns, bridges, and implant-retained tooth replacement. Moreover, services that prevent rather than react to existing conditions are light touch, painless, gentle, convenient, and can be administered quickly. 

Many services to protect your smile 

Generally, the preventive services that we offer protect against the two leading causes of tooth loss: decay and gum disease. Additionally, we can minimize the risk of other threats to oral and overall health, such as oral and throat cancers. Our services and technologies support the early detection of these cancers as well, which truly saves lives.

You will often hear the oral exam and professional cleanings be described as the “cornerstone” of preventive dentistry – and it’s true. The standard professional cleaning removes plaque build-up that can’t be removed with store-bought tools and products. The routine exam involves Dr. Kahng looking for signs of early enamel erosion or periodontal (gum) inflammation, as well as pre-cancers or cancerous lesions. She may use diagnostic tools such as safe digital X-rays to get a closer and more complete “look” at the tissues or structures. These approaches can detect those problems that are often asymptomatic or only associated with subtle symptoms in their earliest stages. Without such technology, damaging conditions can lurk beneath the surface and worsen.

During these regular exams, usually scheduled every six months if you are healthy and at low-risk for conditions like gum disease, we may also recommend additional services. These services include:

• Fluoride supplementation to remineralize the teeth or reverse early-stage decay
• Dental sealants to protect decay-prone, grooved back teeth (premolars and molars)
• Custom mouthguards to protect the teeth, gums, jaws, and other tissues from damage caused by sports/contact injuries
• Custom nightguards and oral splints to prevent damage caused by chronic teeth-grinding and to reduce TMJ symptoms such as headaches and jaw pain

Dr. Kahng and other hygiene teams also provide highly personalized recommendations on flossing, brushing, nutrition, oral care products, and other considerations that all play into the health of your mouth and wellbeing.

Frequently Asked Questions About Preventive Care