What is Minimally Invasive Dentistry?

Minimally Invasive Dentistry — Patient-Friendly Healthcare

Minimally invasive dentistry is a growing shift in dental healthcare. It’s safer.  It’s less painful.  And now you and your family can have fewer cavities and better health overall.

What is Minimally Invasive Dentistry?

Minimally invasive dentistry is the modern approach to your dental care. Its main goal is to treat the bacterial infection — before you ever need tooth repair. In other words, we remove the bacteria so that cavities don’t occur.

You might have heard your dentist or TV ads talk about dental plaque. It’s why you’re told to brush and floss to avoid cavities. Did you know these facts about plaque?

• It’s a village of bacteria living on your teeth.
• Bacteria can spread.
• Filling cavities doesn’t cure the disease.

With minimally invasive dentistry’s technology, we can treat bacteria from the start. Surgery — drilling and filling cavities — doesn’t have to be a way of life. If your teeth do need repair, we offer treatment without the dental drill.

What Minimally Invasive Technology Do You Use?

We offer minimally invasive dentistry’s most advanced technology, including:

• Air abrasion — removing decay without the drill
• Onlays — instead of crowns
• Intra-Oral camera —  for patients opting to see their teeth
• Oral cancer detection
• Dental ozone
• Sealants — protecting teeth from bacteria
• Modern implants
• Digital radiography — less radiation
• Digital impressioning — faster, more accurate tooth repair

Here at Dr. Chang’s office, we have the more advanced laser technology. It’s more reliable, it’s more patient-friendly, and it does so much more than in the past. 

Do Patients Like Minimally Invasive Dentistry?

Yes, patients prefer minimally invasive dentistry:

• Less drilling — less pain
• Prevents disease — fewer cavities and root canals
• Safer and healthier choices
• Better overall health
• Tooth repair with minimal loss
• Biomimetic materials
• Stops disease from getting worse
• Returns teeth and gums to a more natural state

Patients view Dr. Chang as a member of their wellness team. His work is holistic. He always considers the health of your whole body when he treats you.

What is the Mouth-Body Connection?

Medical research shows that about 90 percent of the body’s diseases are linked to dental health. Harmful bacteria grow easily in the mouth — with access to your whole body.  Did you know that about 95 percent of people with diabetes have gum disease?

Your body’s health and your mouth’s health work together. It’s all connected.

Minimally invasive dentistry shows us that getting rid of dental bacteria gives you a healthier body. Dentists often see signs of an illness before others do:

• Diabetes
• Heart disease and stroke
• Sexually transmitted diseases
• Gastrointestinal diseases
• Osteoporosis
• Oral cancer and leukemia
• Respiratory conditions
• Anemia
• Rheumatoid arthritis

What is a Dental Risk Assessment?

Minimally invasive dentistry offers a risk assessment to predict your dental future and provide solutions now.

Risk assessments include:

• A one-minute bacteria test
• Questions about health history
• A dental examination
• Saliva tests for gum disease and oral cancers

When your risk for dental decay is high, Dr. Chang offers a few solutions. The best one for you depends on your individual needs. He might prescribe a special rinse that kills bacteria now — instead of getting cavities later.  

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