Preventive Dentistry – Odessa, TX

Keep Your Smile Healthy for a Lifetime

Preventive dentistry starts with brushing and flossing teeth at home and visiting our dental office two times each year, but general dental care includes so much more. Drs. Franklin and Stephen Boyles offer a variety of services to help patients keep their smiles whole and healthy, treat and prevent oral and systemic illnesses such as oral cancer, and we can even help you sleep more soundly with sleep apnea therapy. Contact our team to find out more or schedule an appointment today.

Dental Checkups & Teeth Cleanings

Twice a year dental checkups give our dentists an opportunity to review existing dental restorations and areas for concern as well as develop a plan for ongoing care in partnership with patients. Each six month checkup begins with the capture of diagnostic x-rays. We then visually examine patients’ smiles looking for signs of common oral health concerns. Next, Dr. Franklin or Dr. Stephen Boyles carefully performs a systematic cleaning of the teeth removing stuck on plaque and tartar. Finally, the dentist explains the results of the evaluation to patients and works with them to choose treatment options when necessary.

Mouthguards & Sportsguards

Most patients know better than to play football without a helmet, but when it comes to protecting their smiles, patients can be less diligent. In fact, many mouthguards are left dangling from helmets. Store bought sportsguards can be bulky and uncomfortably decreasing patient compliance, but our personalized mouthguards are crafted to fit patients’ unique smiles allowing for comfortable wear throughout any sporting event. Additionally, custom mouthguards have proven more effective in protecting teeth than their store bought counterparts as these may slip or become dislodged as they do not fit as snugly. Custom mouthguards can also show your team pride with custom colors and your team’s logo.

Oral Cancer Screening

While many patients believe they don’t need an oral cancer screening unless they use tobacco, the truth is, tobacco use is just one of many behaviors that increases the risk for oral cancer, and as many as 30% of those patients diagnosed do not engage in any of these activities. Oral cancer claims one life every hour on average, but diagnosed and treated in earlier stages, it is one of the most treatable forms of cancer. For these reasons, we make oral cancer screening an integral part of the treatment process for every patient we see.

Fluoride Treatment

Topical fluoride is essential to maintaining tooth enamel density. That is why we recommend patients use toothpastes and mouth rinses that contain fluoride, and for many patients this is adequate to keep teeth strong and avoid tooth decay. However, in other cases, professional-grade fluoride applications as part of twice a year dental checkups may be advisable. We typically recommend these treatments for young people whose smiles are still developing. However, we may also encourage adults to receive these treatments if they are more susceptible to tooth decay.

TMD Therapy, Diagnosis, & Treatment

Temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMD) occurs when the small joints connecting the jaw to the skull bone are strained or damaged making regular jaw motion difficult or painful. If patients are diagnosed with TMD as part of their regular dental checkup, we may recommend any number of treatment options, but most commonly patients experience significant relief from the simplest solution – a custom crafted nightguard. These mouthguards allow the jaw to rest comfortably in the ideal position limiting unconscious jaw movements and reducing the stress or strain on patients’ TMJ.