Shevlin Dental Center
910 SW Simpson Ave
Bend, OR 97702
541.382.8575

Preventative Care

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High levels of dental health, comfort and appearance are achievable by most every person. At your first comprehensive examination, our dentists carefully record measurements and information that allow them to assess your current level of dental wellness. With this important data, the doctors help you maintain or improve your health.

The science and evidence-based preventative care that Shevlin Dental Center provides is instrumental in maintaining the most predictable and long-lasting oral health. More importantly, many reputable studies and research have established clear connections between your oral health and your overall wellbeing. Dr. Cauble, Dr. Huff, and our dental team will help you understand the dental connections to heart health, diabetes, vascular health, Alzheimer’s, and many inflammatory conditions to help you improve all aspects of wellness.

Family Dentistry

We strive to protect, enhance, and strengthen the oral health of your entire family by providing all-encompassing dental care—this includes professional treatments as well as advice on how you and your loved ones can keep the teeth and gums in good condition at home. The team at Shevlin Dental Center takes pride in building lasting relationships with our patients in order to fully understand their needs and extend the most comfortable treatment experience possible.

Child and Adult Preventative Care

Proactive dental care is key to preventing cavities, gingivitis, and the spread of decay, which are all issues that can transform into larger complications if left untreated. By visiting our practice for simple preventative care, patients can stop mild concerns from exacerbating into extensive problems that require more time, expense, and inconvenience to resolve. At Shevlin Dental Center, our experienced team aims to:

  • Check for conditions that may not have any pain present any symptoms
  • Detect issues you may not see or feel
  • Identify any cavities or decay in the teeth or gums
  • Find potential “problem” areas that may have dangerous levels of inflammation
  • Inspect your teeth and gums for periodontal (gum) disease, pockets, bleeding
  • Perform a thorough cleaning of your oral structures and polish your teeth to a shine

We recommend undergoing a routine check-up every three to six months according to your unique dental concerns.

Routine Cleanings

Semi-annual cleanings are essential to maintaining a beautiful smile free of cavities and decay. During a professional cleaning, your dental hygienist will use special tools to remove plaque and tartar from the teeth and gums. Plaque is a sticky film of bacteria that covers the enamel, eventually hardening into tarter if the bacteria is not removed. While you may brush and floss at home to remove food and other surface stains from the teeth, only a professional cleaning can effectively remove tartar. The depth of your gums will also be checked during a cleaning, which can help your dental hygienist detect any signs of periodontal disease.

Digital X-Rays

Part of your routine oral examination will include observing the state of your teeth, gums, and bite via x-rays. Rather than utilizing traditional film x-rays to see inside the mouth, our use of digital x-rays provides significant advantages for your health, the environment, and your overall treatment experience. Digital x-rays allow you to relax comfortably in your chair while your dentist takes high-quality images of your oral structures. This results in substantially less exposure to radiation when compared to film x-rays, as well as less environmental waste from the film and film processing chemicals. These images are instantly processed and sent directly to a larger computer monitor for immediate viewing. With these high-resolution pictures, you can clearly see the condition of your oral structures as well as view potential alignment or spacing problems.

Minimally Invasive Dentistry

Our dentists believe in using conservative techniques when appropriate to save as much of the natural tooth enamel as possible. This approach, known as minimally invasive dentistry, minimizes removal of tooth structure during cosmetic and restorative treatment, and preserves healthy tissue through early detection of gum disease and other potential concerns. There are multiple benefits to minimally invasive dentistry, including a more comfortable treatment process and decreased recovery time. Some of our minimally invasive dentistry treatments include:

  • Tooth-Colored Fillings
  • Composite Bonding
  • Porcelain Inlays and Onlays
  • Porcelain Veners
  • Smoothing and minor reshaping of tooth structure
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Patient Photo Gallery

Mouthguards for Athletics

Drs. Cauble and Huff also practice sports-related dentistry, which is defined as the prevention and treatment of injuries and oral diseases related to sports and exercise. This involves addressing dental injuries sustained while being active—such as a knocked-out tooth, tooth fracture, or TMJ dislocation—along with spreading helpful information and suggesting equipment that can safeguard the teeth, gums, and jaws.

Some of the most common sports-related dental injuries experienced by athletes include:

  • Avulsed (knocked-out) tooth
  • Chip or crack in the tooth
  • Displaced tooth

More often than not, trauma to the mouth can be prevented with a simple mouthguard custom designed to fit snugly over your teeth. This mouthguard can not only protect your teeth against sudden blows, but it also works to minimize damage to the oral soft tissues caused by cuts, swelling, and tooth displacement. If you should experience a dental injury, always remember to visit a dentist as soon as possible so he or she can try to limit trauma to the mouth and save as much of the tooth as possible.

If you have any questions about our family dentistry treatments, or if you would like to schedule a consultation with Dr. David Cauble or Dr. Chris Huff, please contact our practice today.