Be honest with yourself, do you really floss every single day? If you do, give yourself a pat on the back! But in reality, many of us don’t. It’s like we know we’re supposed to, but those extra 30 seconds after brushing just pushes the envelope.
As a rule of thumb, many of us are accustomed to visiting the dentist once every six months, but do we really need to visit that often?
Staying on top of oral health is important for many reasons. Yes, it’s nice to have a pearly white smile, but it’s also important to prevent tooth decay and gum disease, which not only has the means to lead to further health problems, but can also become a blow to your wallet.
We spoke with the professionals at Downtown Dental, located in the heart of downtown Lafayette, for their take on oral health.
Besides routine dental services, are there any special services you have to offer?
We create a very visual and comfortable dental experience. Digital impressions, photos, and x-rays help patients see what we see as we discuss conditions or explore possibilities to help improve your smile. We understand that time is valuable, so we offer time-saving options like same-day porcelain crowns and lunch hour appointments. We’re also committed to being available. Dental emergencies often don’t happen at a convenient time, so we are available to answer texts and phone calls 24 hours a day.
Why is it so critical to stay on top of oral health?
Great oral health is often simple but not always easy! We often know what is good for us, but have a hard time putting good habits into practice. Many dental conditions are preventable but may end up being more costly financially and to our overall health if neglected or not understood. This is one reason we like to see children at one year of age to help them have a great experience that sets them up for life-long oral health and comfort in the dental setting.
How often should someone pay a visit? Do you recommend visiting every six months?
Though every six months is common for the majority of our patients, there are certainly situations where we alter that recommendation. For people with gum disease, we want to see them more frequently. For an adult that has never had a dental problem and does a great job with their homecare, we may recommend seeing them once a year. We take an individualized approach that allows us to work with you according to your situation and your overall goals. Open and honest dialogue allows us to provide the best care as your dental advocate.
How do you define wellness?
So many factors contribute to a person’s well-being that go beyond just physical health. Wellness is taking a proactive stance towards our mental, spiritual, and physical health. I don’t think this can be accomplished in isolation. We feel it’s our role to treat the whole person with great care and work with local health care providers and specialists when we identify other health concerns that may or may not be related to oral health. We feel people change when they feel their best interest is in mind and feel they are being communicated without shame being involved. We talk a lot about benefits of treatment we offer and consequences of choosing to do nothing. This helps start the conversation of how each person wants to move forward.
What benefits does someone get from utilizing your services?
Patients enter and leave our office feeling well cared for and not feeling like a number. We provide clear awareness of our findings and clear options of how to improve one’s oral health. We also want your dental work to last, so you can be assured we don’t cut corners or use inferior materials.
Many people are afraid of the dentist for various reasons. For someone nervous about visiting, how would you convince them to schedule a visit?
Come by our office and meet our team! Helping our patients overcome their dental anxiety is of top priority in our office. Fear of the dentist and unpleasant past dental experiences are common barriers we see on a daily basis. We intentionally designed our office to help minimize factors that might make you feel anxious about being at the dentist. As a few ways to help you be comfortable in our office, our caring team offers a pleasing atmosphere, gentle anesthetic, multimedia options, and nitrous oxide (laughing gas).
How do you strive to keep your patients coming back?
We love being a part of people’s lives in our community. We strive to provide excellent quality of care with every patient at every visit. Your time is valuable to us. In addition to offering efficient treatment with flexible hours, we are committed to not rush through your treatment. This means that we give you the time and information you need to be able to make a decision about the treatment options recommended.
Part of our focus is helping those without dental insurance have a quality and affordable option for routine dental care. We developed a straight-forward, annual Downtown Dental Savings Plan that includes all of your routine preventative dental care including two exams, two cleanings, necessary x-rays, and 15% off of all other restorative work and services. Additionally, we offer a free first visit to the dentist for kids three and under.