The Consequences of Untreated Sleep Apnea

Sleep is one of the most important factors that contribute to cardiovascular health, along with regular exercise and a healthy diet. Not getting enough sleep each night can have a cumulative effect that takes a toll on your well-being. Sometimes, this restlessness is the result of a sleep disorder. Sleep apnea is among the most common sleep disorders, affecting an estimated 22 million Americans each year. If it goes untreated, the consequences of sleep apnea can be a danger to your health.

What is Sleep Apnea?

Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder in which a person’s breathing pattern is interrupted throughout sleep. There are two types of sleep apnea – obstructive and central.

Obstructive sleep apnea is the most common type of apnea, as well as one of the most common sleep disorders. It occurs when the airflow through your nose and mouth is blocked by relaxed muscles during sleep, causing you to stop breathing for up to 10 seconds at a time. 

Central sleep apnea is not caused by an actual blockage of the airway, but by failure to start breathing during sleep due to a lack of signals from the brain. This is most common among individuals with existing conditions, such as those who have a history of strokes, kidney or lung disease, or heart failure.

What Can Happen if Sleep Apnea Goes Untreated

If left untreated, sleep apnea can have both mild and severe consequences on your health and well-being. Mild irritants include snoring and restlessness during the night. This can also cause those in your household to have trouble sleeping. Consequences can follow you into the day as well in the form of headaches and fatigue, which can lead to underperforming at work or having trouble being present with your friends and family.

Sleep apnea also has more serious long-term consequences, both physically and mentally. Physically, people with sleep apnea can suffer from high blood pressure, strokes, and heart attacks. This is due to the decreased flow of oxygen to organs such as your heart, lungs, and liver. Mentally, a lack of sleep due to sleep apnea can disturb your emotions, which can put you at greater risk of depression and anxiety. 

Other consequences include night sweats, sexual dysfunction, and memory problems. 

Sleep Apnea Treatment

If you think you may have sleep apnea, the first step is to talk about it with a healthcare specialist. The specialist will evaluate you through a sleep study, which involves monitoring your breathing and vital organ functions overnight. This study can be done in a sleep disorder center or at home. 

If your healthcare specialist diagnoses you with obstructive sleep apnea, two common treatments are continuous positive airway pressure therapy (CPAP), and the Vivos System. A CPAP machine delivers a constant flow of air into your nose and mouth to provide sleep apnea relief. However, these machines are noisy and only work if you use them habitually for the rest of your life. 

The Vivos System is a more personalized approach to sleep apnea relief. A combination of doctors and dentists will create a specialized treatment plan and oral appliance that only needs to be used for one to two years. After that period, patients rarely need any further sleep apnea intervention. The Vivos System is also pain-free.

Vivos Dentist in Oro Valley

If you have obstructive sleep apnea, Smith Dentalworks is here to help. Our team of professionals can assess your specific case to offer you a customized device to help treat your condition. 

To learn more about the Vivos System and other services Smith Dentalworks has to offer, contact us today.

Common Cosmetic Dental Concerns

Your smile is often one of the first things someone notices about you. If it doesn’t look the way you prefer, it can impact your confidence. Luckily, cosmetic dentistry makes it possible to change the way your smile looks. Our Oro Valley dentist’s office can address a wide variety of cosmetic concerns.

Some issues that can be corrected with cosmetic dental care include:

Crooked Teeth

Crooked teeth are not always a purely cosmetic concern, and can also affect your oral health. That being said, straightening your smile can definitely improve your confidence, even if the misalignment is not major enough to cause any issues beyond aesthetics.

Treatments – Invisalign or Veneers

Invisalign aligners are clear and discreet. You can get a straighter smile in as little as 12 months with fewer check-ups than braces. Dr. Atty Smith is a preferred Invisalign provider and can examine your smile to determine whether this treatment is best for you.

In cases of very minor crookedness, veneers are another possible option. These are thin porcelain shells which cover your teeth and can be helpful for many different cosmetic issues. However, this is not ideal for serious misalignment.

Cracks in Teeth

Cracked teeth can range from purely cosmetic to a serious dental issue. Superficial cracks, known as craze lines, are a common cause for self-consciousness and are associated with aging or stress on teeth. Deeper cracks, especially those that extend below the gum line, can damage the internal structure of the tooth and typically require more extensive intervention.

Treatments – Veneers, Bonding, or Crowns

Veneers are a great treatment for cosmetic cracks since they cover the surface of the tooth.  Dental bonding, which is the use of a composite material to make minor cosmetic adjustments, is also an option. While bonding is less durable than veneers, it is more cost-effective.

If the crack is serious, a dental crown may be necessary. In the most severe cases, you may need to have the tooth extracted and replaced with a dental implant topped with a crown.

Gap Teeth

Some people enjoy the appearance of a gap between their teeth, whereas others do not. A gap between the two front teeth is usually the most noticeable, and therefore is more common for patients to seek treatment for.

Treatments – Veneers, Bonding, or Invisalign

Veneers can cover a small gap between teeth. Bonding can close a small to medium gap. If the gap is one of multiple orthodontic issues, then Invisalign may be beneficial. Our dentist can examine your gap and determine the best treatment(s) for your needs.

Stained or Discolored Teeth

Teeth can become discolored to stained due to aging, certain foods or drinks, or a variety of other causes. No matter why it happens, a stained or discolored smile is one of the most common cosmetic dental concerns.

Treatment – Whitening or Veneers

Teeth whitening is the most straight-forward solution for staining, and we offer both at-home and in-office solutions. In cases of severe discoloration, or if the yellow color is a result of exposed dentin, veneers may also be an option. Veneers are also more permanent and allow you to address multiple cosmetic issues at once.

Cosmetic Dentistry at Our Oro valley dentist’s office

At Smith Dentalworks, we can address the concerns listed above as well as other cosmetic issues. We also offer restorative and preventative dentistry.

If you have cosmetic dental issues you’d like to address, contact us today.

 

Options for Whitening Your Teeth

Having white teeth can boost your confidence and can also improve the impression you have on others since your smile is one of the first things people notice about you. There are many options for whitening your teeth, so it can be confusing to determine which is best for you. Some of these choices are better than others, and it’s important to be aware of the pros and cons of each when making a decision. Our dentist in Oro Valley shares these ways to whiten your smile:

Over-the-Counter Whitening

Over-the-counter whitening products, such as toothpastes and whitening strips, are often the first option that comes to mind for brightening your smile. However, they are generally only able to remove minor surface-level stains and the results do not last as long as professional whitening. They can also worsen issues like sensitivity or damage your gums if you use them improperly.

There’s not necessarily anything wrong with trying an over-the-counter option at first to see if you get the results you’d like, but keep in mind that you may not be satisfied with the level of whitening. You should also talk to your dentist first, especially if you have sensitive teeth, dental restorations, or very dark teeth.

Professional Whitening

Dentist-supervised whitening involves stronger products than what is available over the counter, which often allows you to achieve more noticeable results.

Our Dentist in Oro Valley Offers Three Options Depending on Your Needs:

  • In-Office Whitening: If you need fast results for a big event, we can brighten your teeth by six to eight shades within as little as two visits to our office. This option uses our strongest whitening gel and we pair it with fluoride to strengthen your teeth.
  • Custom Take-Home Whitening Trays: Our custom teeth whitening trays are molded to your smile to protect your gums during the whitening process. This allows you to complete the whitening process at home.
  • Ready-to-Use Kits: You can take home these whitening kits right away to start brightening your smile. While they aren’t custom-fit, they are still safe and effective.

Veneers or Bonding

In some cases, another cosmetic dental treatment may be a better fit than whitening in order to brighten your smile. This is often the case if you have very dark teeth, teeth with exposed dentin (the yellow layer under the enamel), or just one or a few teeth that are darker than the others.

Veneers are a great option to transform your smile and can address stained or discolored teeth in addition to other cosmetic concerns.

Dental bonding is another potential procedure. This works well if you have a small number of stained discolored teeth that stand out from the rest of your smile. 

Cosmetic Dentistry by Our Dentist in Oro Valley, AZ

If you want to transform your smile, we can help. Our dentist in Oro Valley is happy to discuss your options with you to help you determine what will be best for your needs and aesthetic goals. We offer teeth whitening as well as other cosmetic and restorative treatments.

To learn more about how we can whiten your teeth, contact us today.

Snoring vs Sleep Apnea

Many people assume that all snoring is due to sleep apnea and that all sleep apnea involves snoring. This is some truth to this correlation given that snoring is one of the major symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and is also among the most noticeable. However, not everyone who snores has OSA, and not everyone with this condition snores.

More information about snoring vs sleep apnea:

What is Snoring?

Snoring is a harsh sound that occurs during sleep when air flows past tissues within the throat, causing them to vibrate. It is fairly common and most individuals snore occasionally. When snoring is occurring every night or is a nuisance to anyone sleeping in the same room, it can be a more serious issue. Snoring can be a symptom of OSA, but it is not a medical condition in and of itself.

What is Sleep Apnea?

Sleep apnea is a condition in which a person stops breathing periodically while asleep. This results in waking up throughout the night, which leads to fatigue during the day. When left untreated, sleep apnea can have a variety of consequences including an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke.

Snoring Without Sleep Apnea

Snoring that isn’t caused by sleep apnea is known as primary snoring. This can develop due to older age, which results in more relaxed throat muscles. Sleeping on your back can also increase the possibility of snoring. Snoring indicates a blockage in the upper airway and only a medical professional can determine if this is due to sleep apnea or if it is happening for another reason.

Sleep Apnea Without Snoring

Just like you can snore without having sleep apnea, you can also have sleep apnea without snoring. In these cases, patients still wake up and gasp for air during the night, but do not snore consistently enough for others to notice. In this case, patients may still notice other symptoms of sleep apnea.

What To Do If You Think You Have Sleep Apnea

While snoring is not always associated with sleep apnea, it is a frequent indicator of the condition. This means that if you are snoring or have any other symptoms, you should consider undergoing a sleep study to determine if sleep apnea is the cause.

Some signs that snoring is associated with sleep apnea include:

  • Snoring very loudly
  • Gasping for air or choking
  • Pausing breathing for ten seconds or longer

Non-snoring related symptoms of sleep apnea include:

  • Fatigue
  • Headaches
  • Waking up with a sore throat or dry mouth
  • Difficulty concentrating during the day

How We Treat Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea and dentistry may not seem related at first, but dentists like Dr. Atty Smith are often able to catch early signs of sleep apnea and refer patients to medical professionals who can confirm this diagnosis. We are proud to offer a cutting-edge treatment for sleep apnea: the Vivos System. This is a custom oral appliance that actually corrects the issues that lead to sleep apnea, and most patients require no further intervention after they complete treatment.

To learn more about how we can treat your sleep apnea, contact us today.

5 Reasons to Consider an Alternative to CPAP

Being diagnosed with sleep apnea is more common than you might think. Between 2-5% of women and 3-7% of men are affected by this condition, totaling around 22 million Americans. Surprisingly, up to 80% of people with sleep apnea remain undiagnosed, meaning the true numbers may be even higher.

The most common treatment for sleep apnea is a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine, but it’s not your only option. One CPAP alternative, the Vivos System, offers a new and innovative approach to treating obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Here are five reasons why you might want to consider an alternative to CPAP:

1. CPAP Machines Are Loud

CPAP machines are known for their noise, which can be disruptive to both you and anyone sharing your bedroom. Sleep apnea already leads to poor sleep quality and fatigue, so it’s ironic that a treatment could add to sleep disturbances. If noise is a concern, looking into quieter treatment alternatives like the Vivos System might be the right move.

2. The Mask Can Be Uncomfortable

Many patients find wearing a CPAP mask uncomfortable, which can make it harder to fall asleep or stay asleep. While adjusting the fit can help, it doesn’t always solve the discomfort. If you find the mask intrusive, an oral appliance like the Vivos System could offer relief without the hassle of wearing a mask.

3. Eye and Airway Irritation Is Common

CPAP masks often leak air, which can dry out your eyes and cause irritation. Additionally, the pressure from the CPAP machine can lead to dryness in your nose, throat, and mouth, and these symptoms may linger throughout the day. While there are ways to manage these side effects, many patients find them frustrating. A solution like the Vivos System avoids these issues by eliminating the need for a mask and machine.

4. CPAP Compliance Rates Are Low

Due to the discomfort and side effects, many patients struggle to use CPAP machines consistently. Inconsistent use means the symptoms of sleep apnea persist, putting your health at risk. If you’re not using your CPAP as recommended, an alternative like the Vivos System may be a more convenient and sustainable treatment option.

5. CPAP Doesn’t Cure Sleep Apnea

While CPAP machines help manage the symptoms of sleep apnea, they don’t address the root cause of the condition. You’ll need to use the CPAP machine every night for the rest of your life to control the symptoms. On the other hand, the Vivos System aims to treat the underlying cause of mild-to-moderate OSA, with many patients no longer needing treatment after completing the Vivos therapy.

A CPAP Alternative for Sleep Apnea

If you’re seeking an alternative to CPAP, the Vivos System could be the solution you’ve been looking for. This custom-made oral appliance works to correct the underlying causes of OSA and is a proven treatment for mild-to-moderate obstructive sleep apnea. Many patients find that after completing treatment, no further interventions are needed.

Visit a Vivos Dentist in Oro Valley

At Smith Dentalworks, Dr. Atty Smith is a certified Vivos dentist located in Oro Valley, AZ. She works closely with Vivos experts to help treat patients with sleep apnea. If you’d like to learn more about this innovative CPAP alternative, contact us today to schedule a consultation.

To learn more about how we can help treat your Sleep Apnea without a CPAP machine, contact us today.

What is Dental Bone Loss and Why Does it Occur?

Dental bone loss can have serious consequences for your oral health and the appearance of your smile. Bone loss in the jaw is more common than you may expect and cannot be reversed without extensive bone grafting treatment. As a result, it’s important to understand why dental bone loss occurs and take the necessary steps to prevent it.

Effects of Bone Loss

Bone loss can cause your teeth to shift. This can result in a crooked smile and/or crowding. Nearby teeth may also become looser and eventually fall out. This leaves you vulnerable to infections and disease. Advanced bone loss can also change the shape of your face, and will often make you look older prematurely.

Cause – Periodontal Disease

Periodontal disease, also known as gum disease, is the most common cause of dental bone loss. This condition is very prevalent, with a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showing that 47.2% of adults over 30 have some form of gum disease. Earlier stages, such as gingivitis, do not cause bone loss, but they can progress quickly if left untreated.

Preventing Bone Loss from Gum Disease

It’s important to schedule regular check-ups with your dentist. This way, you will know early on if you are showing signs of early gum disease and can get treatment right away. Depending on the stage of the disease, this may involve scaling and root planing to clean out the area under the gums.

Cause – Tooth Loss

When you lose a tooth or have the tooth extracted, the root is no longer placing pressure on your jaw when you eat. Over time, this results in resorption of the bone. After only the first year, patients typically lose 25% of the bone, and this only rises from there.

Preventing Bone Loss After Tooth Loss

A dental implant is a titanium post that acts as an artificial tooth root. The implant puts pressure on your jaw and prevents resorption of the bone. Using an implant topped with a crown is the best way to prevent bone loss after losing a tooth while also restoring the appearance of your smile.

If you have lost most of your teeth, implant dentures are a great option and protect the health of your jaw compared to traditional dentures, which can sometimes accelerate bone loss.

Restorative Dental Care in Oro Valley, AZ

At Smith Dentalworks, we can help restore the appearance of your smile after losing a tooth. We partner with a trusted oral surgeon with dental implant placement, which helps prevent bone loss while also giving you a beautiful new smile. We craft restorations that match the surrounding teeth, look great, and preserve your oral health.

To learn more about our restorative dental treatment options, contact us today.

Common Causes of Teeth Discoloration

Your smile is one of the first things people notice about you, so it makes sense to feel self-conscious if your teeth aren’t as white as you’d like. Teeth discoloration can happen for a variety of reasons. Some of these are avoidable whereas others happen naturally over time.

Some of the top causes of teeth staining or discoloration include:

Certain Foods/Drinks

Some foods and drinks can stain your teeth, especially if you have a lot of them over time. This occurs if the food or drink is highly pigmented or has tannins. Acidity also poses an issue since it can open up the pores in your teeth’s enamel, making it easier for further stains to develop.

These foods and drinks can lead to teeth staining:

  • Red wine
  • Coffee
  • Tea
  • Cola
  • Soy sauce
  • Tomato-based sauces
  • Balsamic vinegar
  • Dark berries

This doesn’t mean you need to avoid these foods and drinks at all times. Instead, just be mindful of whether or not you notice staining after having them and adjust accordingly.

Tobacco Use

Smoking can do serious damage to your teeth. Tobacco can cause yellow staining of your enamel. It also increases the risk of gum disease, tooth decay, and other oral health issues.

Poor Dental Hygiene

Keeping up with oral hygiene is essential for the health and appearance of your teeth. You need to brush twice a day, floss once a day, and visit your dentist regularly. Not doing this can result in cosmetic issues like discoloration as well problems with your dental health.

Aging

As you get older, teeth discoloration will occur naturally as your teeth’s enamel wears down. This will start to reveal the core of your teeth (known as dentin), which is yellow in color. As a result, it may seem like your teeth are stained when this isn’t actually the case.

How Can You Fix Teeth Discoloration?

The best way to treat discolored or stained teeth will depend on the cause of the issue.

Teeth whitening is a great option for removing stains in the enamel. The treatments we offer at Smith Dentalworks are stronger than over-the-counter whitening strips and gels. We also have in-office treatments if you need your teeth whitened more quickly.

If the discoloration does not respond to whitening, or if you prefer not to have to continue whitening treatments to maintain the color, porcelain veneers are an excellent option. These are thin shells that cover the front of your teeth and can address a wide variety of cosmetic issues, including teeth discoloration. If you have other changes you would like to make at the same time, veneers allow you to do so.

Cosmetic Dental Treatment in Oro Valley

At Smith Dentalworks, we can help give you the smile of your dreams. We offer teeth whitening, veneers, and other cosmetic dentistry options as well as preventative and restorative care. We use the latest technology to make dental care simple and pain-free.

To learn more about options for treating teeth discoloration, contact us today.

The Link Between Sleep Apnea and Dentistry

Obstructive sleep apnea, also called OSA, is one of the most common sleep disorders, and many individuals aren’t even aware they have it. This condition causes interruptions to a person’s breathing during sleep, resulting in snoring and poor sleep quality. Sleep apnea sufferers often feel fatigued throughout the day, as well as other symptoms such as headaches.

When people think of sleep apnea, they may not immediately think of dentistry. However, dentists are often able to catch early signs of this and other sleep disorders. Additionally, custom oral appliances, such as those we create with the Vivos System®, can treat mild to moderate OSA.

More information about the link between sleep apnea and dentistry:

Early Signs of Sleep Disorders

Many of the symptoms of sleep apnea that people are most aware of don’t seem to be directly related to dentistry. However, dentists can catch other symptoms with a thorough examination of your oral health. For example, bruxism (teeth grinding) can be a sign of sleep apnea.

One thing to be aware of is that your dentist cannot diagnose sleep apnea or other sleep disorders. This can only be done after a sleep study. However, if your dentist notices wear that is consistent with grinding, they may also follow-up questions about your sleep. If they suspect sleep apnea could be causing your grinding, they may suggest that you undergo a sleep study.

As a Vivos dentist, we can help you find a Vivos-approved doctor to complete a sleep study if you are concerned about sleep apnea.

Sleep Apnea Treatment

Another link between dentistry and sleep apnea is that a custom oral appliance can help treat certain types of sleep apnea. These devices work by correcting craniofacial development deficiencies that contribute to sleep apnea. With the Vivos System, your device will be customized based on a thorough analysis of the hard and soft tissues that make up your airway.

Benefits of Vivos

The most common method for treating sleep apnea is currently continuous positive airway pressure therapy (CPAP). However, CPAP machines are noisy and patients often don’t keep up with treatment. CPAP also does not fix the root cause of sleep apnea, so the symptoms will return if you stop using the machine.

The Vivos System, on the other hand, actually corrects the issues that lead to OSA. After the treatment period (which can last between 12 and 24 months), most patients do not require further intervention. The custom oral appliance is also painless and simple to use.

Your Vivos Dentist in Oro Valley, AZ

If you are suffering from mild-to-moderate obstructive sleep apnea, Smith Dentalworks can help. Our highly-skilled dentist will work with a multidisciplinary team of Vivos-approved professionals to create a customized oral appliance to treat your sleep apnea.

To learn more about the link between sleep apnea and dentistry, contact us today.

Top 5 Benefits of a Smile Makeover

If you are self-conscious about the way your smile looks, it can affect multiple areas of your life. Luckily, it’s easier than ever to transform your smile. Cosmetic dentistry can correct many different concerns and there are a variety of treatment options depending on your desired adjustments and cost preferences. There are many benefits to getting a smile makeover, whether you are making cosmetic adjustments only or are also correcting oral health issues.

These benefits include:

1. Improved Confidence

Your smile is one of the first things people notice about you and if you don’t love the way your smile looks, it can impact how you interact with others. You may feel less confident in social situations or try to hide your teeth in photos. Overall, feeling dissatisfied with your smile impacts how you feel about yourself as a whole.

After a smile makeover, many patients feel more confident and are able to enjoy social situations more. It feels great to love your smile and to be able to show it off.

2. Look Younger

An improved smile can help you look younger. This is because discolored or worn-down teeth are signs of aging. You may be surprised by how much of a difference a smile makeover can make for your overall appearance.

3. Better Oral Health

If your smile makeover is fixing a dental health concern, it’s fairly clear how this improves your oral health. Addressing concerns sooner than later can help prevent further issues down the road. For example, if you are missing a tooth, getting an implant and crown can reduce your risk of bone loss.

In addition to this, even adjustments that are purely cosmetic in nature can improve your oral health. When you love your smile, you’re more likely to take care of your teeth.

4. Easier to Chew

Depending on what adjustments you are making to your smile, it may be easier to eat afterward. This is especially true if you are replacing missing teeth or correcting misalignment. As a result, meals are less stressful and you may be able to eat a larger variety of foods that you had to avoid in the past.

5. Reduced Stress

Did you know smiling more often can actually lower your stress levels? This is because it stimulates the release of neuropeptides, which are chemicals in your brain that promote a feeling of happiness. After cosmetic dentistry, you will likely feel comfortable smiling more often.

Cosmetic Dentistry Options

If you are interested in a smile makeover, there are many different options depending on what your concerns are and how dramatic you want your transformation to be. To completely revitalize your smile, you may want to consider veneers. These are thin porcelain shells that cover your teeth and can correct a wide variety of issues from minor crookedness to discoloration. For smaller adjustments, we can use dental bonding. Other cosmetic dental options include teeth whitening or crowns/implants to replace missing teeth.

Transform Your Smile

To learn more about cosmetic dentistry in Oro Valley, contact us today.

The Importance of Dental X-Rays

Dental radiographs, more commonly known as dental X-rays, are an important tool for preserving your oral health. We use X-rays to check for potential issues and to monitor the health of your smile. By using digital X-rays, we minimize radiation exposure and the impact on the environment.

Why Dental Radiographs are Important

There is more to your teeth than what is visible above the surface. Oral health conditions can affect the tooth root, jaw bone, or spaces between teeth. With X-rays, it’s possible to see issues that may not be visible otherwise.

These may include:

  • Tooth decay between teeth or beneath fillings
  • Bone loss due to gum disease
  • Misalignment (Note: Although we catch some orthodontic issues with a visual exam, X-rays provide more detailed information.)
  • Any issues occurring below dental restorations (e.g. crowns)
  • Abscesses
  • Cysts
  • Tumors

Dental X-rays are one of the tools we use to help diagnose oral health conditions. We use them in combination with visual exams and other techniques in order to provide comprehensive care.

After Your X-Rays

After taking your X-rays, we will review them and will let you know if there are any issues. If so, we will develop a treatment plan that is specific to you. Our care is always informative, innovative, and individualized. This means that whether we are using X-rays, another diagnostic tool, or a combination of approaches, we will make sure to let you know what we are doing, why we are doing it, and what our recommendations are for your continued treatment.

The Safety of Dental X-Rays

One concern patients sometimes have is whether the radiation in dental X-rays is potentially harmful. The good news is that dental radiographs are absolutely safe.

One x-ray of the back teeth (bitewing x-ray) exposes patients to approximately 0.001 millisieverts (mSv) of radiation. This is 90% less than a traditional film X-ray. To provide some additional context, Americans are exposed to an average of 3.2 mSv of background radiation each year.

To further keep our patients safe, we follow the ALARA principle for X-rays. This stands for “As Low As Reasonably Achievable” and is the standard for any procedures that require radiation. Some of our safety protocols include using protective aprons, using the fastest digital capture speed, and only taking radiographs as often as necessary.

If there is a possibility you may be pregnant, you should let us know. There may be times when X-rays are recommended anyway, but we will take all factors into consideration.

How Often Do You Need X-Rays at the Dentist?

The American Dental Association (ADA) recommends that patients have dental X-rays every two years. However, you may need them more frequently if you have a known oral health condition that we need to monitor. We will make an individualized treatment plan and will let you know our recommendations for X-rays. Again, radiographs are safe and have a very low level of radiation, so the risk of getting more X-rays to monitor a condition is generally less than the risk of foregoing these X-rays.

Schedule Preventive Care

Monitoring your health through preventive care reduces the likelihood of you needing costly and time-consuming dental care later on. We offer general dentistry for patients of all ages.

To schedule your dentist appointment in Oro Valley, contact us today.