We believe in comprehensive exams for patients of all ages because it’s the best way to get to know you and your smile. We’re extremely thorough in how we approach our comprehensive dental exams because we don’t want to miss a thing. We have advanced digital photographs and x-rays to capture your teeth from every angle, giving us a more precise picture of what’s going inside your mouth. During your comprehensive exam, we’ll also do periodontal charting or assess the status of gum health. You’ll also receive an oral cancer screening during every comprehensive exam at Pine Mountain Family Dentistry. We conduct both visual and manual screenings to help ensure the early detection of anything out of the ordinary. After your exam is complete, you’re ready for a cleaning with the dental hygienist that’s sure to leave your smile smooth and sparkling clean. Your comprehensive dental exams are usually scheduled every six months.

Does the thought of an oral cancer screening make you feel a little nervous? Don’t be! So many folks come to us thinking they’re oral cancer screening is going to be an intense, long process. When in reality, they’re not that way at all. Oral cancer screenings are extremely beneficial to your oral and overall health. They can even save your life!

Oral cancer screenings are generally conducted during your comprehensive dental exams you schedule every six months. Your Pine Mountain dentist uses both his hands and eyes to check your lips, tongue, cheeks, gums, throat, and all around your mouth for any signs of abnormalities. The reason we do this every six months is that when oral cancer is caught in the early stages it gives you a big boost for total recovery. We believe that these screenings can help save your life. That’s why we include them with your comprehensive exam at no additional cost! We care about your smile and YOU.

X-rays have come a long way since back in the days of heavy lead vests and radiation exposure. This is all thanks to major advancements in healthcare technology that have dramatically improved the kind of care dentists everywhere can provide to patients like you. Dental x-rays are extremely important and invaluable to your oral health. They allow us to see what’s happening under the surface of your teeth, down to the roots, for a more accurate diagnosis of any dental issues.

Our office is proud to provide patients with more modern, advanced dental care including high-resolution digital x-rays, panoramic x-rays, and CT cans that reduce any exposure to radiation by up to 70 percent. Panoramic x-rays are especially amazing in the way the precise, crystal clear images give us a new perspective on how we see your jaw and mouth. What’s best is we can store all of these images without having to worry about annoying films like the ones used years ago that run the risk of getting lost.

Ah…That feeling when you leave the dentist’s office after a teeth cleaning. It’s like you forget how amazing your mouth can feel, right? That’s why we love our hygiene team and we know you’ll feel the same. They’re highly trained dental health professionals who love the work that they do every day. Just ask them! (One of the best parts of the work they do, they’ll all tell you, is getting to know you and your smile over the years.)

Because we truly believe in the power of state-of-the-art dental technology, we’ve equipped our hygienists with Cavitron magnetostrictive scalers. It sounds like a strange name, but this little tool can do big things for you and your smile. Your dental hygienist can more easily remove plaque and tartar from between your teeth. We can reach the areas your brushing and flossing may be missing. It’s important to keep up with your regular cleanings to help prevent cavities and gum dísease.

Did you know that gum disease is the leading cause of adult tooth loss? That’s just one reason why periodontal or gum therapy is critical to your oral and overall health. If your gums are unhealthy, they can make the rest of your body sick too, allowing harmful bacteria to enter your bloodstream. If we do detect gum disease at your visit, don’t worry! We have the tools and training to get your smile back on track.

A treatment like scaling and root planing is an effective treatment option. Root planing and scaling is a way for your Pine Mountain dental team to deep clean your teeth all the way down to their roots that lie beneath your gum line. This type of treatment works well to help fix cases of mild to moderate gum disease, especially when you’ve got pockets that have formed between your gums and teeth. These pockets put your oral health in danger because they allow things like bacteria and tartar to make your teeth more vulnerable to decay, dísease, and deterioration.

You’ve most likely heard about fluoride for years. It’s in different kinds of toothpaste. It can even be found in drinking water. However, do you really know what it is or what it’s good for? One of the biggest reasons we recommend fluoride treatments for kids at every visit is because it helps to prevent cavities by strengthening your tooth’s enamel. Tooth enamel is made up of a crystalline substance or something that’s scientifically referred to as calcium phosphate. This is a mineral that also makes up your bones.

Your tooth enamel often finds itself under attack from acids and sugars in our mouths, this can weaken or demineralize your enamel. Then, nature’s cavity fighter, AKA fluoride, comes to the rescue to help reduce the damage done by acids and bacteria. Ask your dentist about adding a fluoride treatment to your next comprehensive exam.

You put so much care into your smile. It’s important to keep it protected and safe — especially if you’re like many folks in West Georgia who live to play sports like football and basketball. These matchups sure are fun, but they can do big damage to your teeth. Trust your Pine Mountain dentist to create a custom mouthguard that’s going to give you the protection your smile needs. Our mouthguards are better than the ones you’ll find at the sporting goods store. They’re more comfortable and easily customizable.

Another way you can damage your smile (and maybe not even know it) is by grinding your teeth. Also known as bruxism, this intense grinding can do major damage to your teeth usually while you are asleep without your knowledge. We can create a special night guard that will fit in your mouth comfortably, without disrupting your sleep so you can get the rest you need while your smile stays safe.

Are you always a little apprehensive about coming to the dentist? Does the thought of being the dental chair make your stomach flutter? Do you have a sensitive gag reflex making you more nervous having work done in your mouth? Maybe it’s time you talked to your Pine Mountain dentist about anesthesia. We want you to feel comfortable with us, no matter what reason you have for being in the office.

Our office is equipped with a state-of-the-art, safe nitrous oxide delivery system for our anesthesia purposes. Our team is highly trained in the administration of the gas for patients of varying ages. One of the biggest benefits of choosing nitrous is that gives you a mild euphoric or happy feeling while we complete your treatment. As we turn the gas off, the effects wear off immediately. You’re not left feeling out of it or groggy. You can even drive yourself home after your appointment.

If you’ve been diagnosed with mild to moderate sleep apnea, then you know what it feels like to be tired all day long. Unfortunately, most people with sleep apnea don’t even know they have it until they experience the serious side effects that can include: headaches, tiredness, depression, snoring, dry mouth, and difficulty staying asleep. Sleep apnea can even cause you to awake during the night up to 100 times and you might not even know it!

At Pine Mountain Family Dentistry we want everyone to live their best lives, and that includes getting the restful sleep your body needs and you deserve. That’s why we offer the option of a custom snore guard for folks diagnosed with mild to moderate sleep apnea. They can offer a less invasive solution than a bulky CPAP machine. However, many people find they’re CPAP-intolerant and need something else. Talk to us about how snore guards work and might help you too!

A knocked-out tooth. A bad chip. A nagging nerve pain that won’t go away. These are all reasons to call your Pine Mountain dentist right away. Sure, no one wants or plans for an emergency, but in the event that something happens to your smile or someone in your family, we want you to know that we’re here to help.

Our first goal is to get you in the dental chair as soon as possible so that we can ultimately get you out of pain. We understand that you’re going to be nervous or scared and we’ll do everything we can to help you feel more comfortable and relaxed. Please know that we have all of the technology and training possible to get your smile back to good health. We want to do everything we can get you feeling better fast so that you can return to your normal routine without having to worry about your smile.

There’s something about dental technology that we just can’t seem to get enough of. It seems like every year or so there’s something new and exciting that’s changing how we deliver high quality, high-tech dentistry to all of our patients across Pine Mountain, LaGrange, Manchester, and Hamilton.

We want your general dentistry experience at Pine Mountain Family Dentistry to be innovative, yet comfortable and convenient. That’s why we’ve invested in some of dentistry’s very best dental technology. We now use a powerful intraoral camera to get a clear, precise picture of what’s going on inside your mouth. The best part is — you get to see it right along with us. This helps us create a treatment plan together based on our mutual findings. Our office also has a soft tissue laser designed to provide a less invasive way to remove lesions, treat cold sores, and complete frenectomies. The soft tissue laser takes the place of a scalpel so there’s no cutting or stitches necessary.