At Linden Hills Dentistry our primary goal is to help you achieve and maintain excellent oral health. Our wellness team puts emphasis on the connection between oral health and systemic diseases. Maintaining oral health is so much more than just getting your teeth cleaned! With a focus on decreasing inflammation and educating about risk factors for gum disease, we are confident in our methods to achieve optimal oral wellbeing.

Each hygienist on our wellness team is skilled in providing both preventative and therapeutic services, depending on your individual needs. After your initial periodontal assessment, a personalized plan will be created for you, taking your overall health into consideration.

Wherever you may be in your wellness journey, we are here to help you achieve optimal oral health.

There is now strong evidence that the toxins and inflammatory mediators that are released by the gum cells in response to bacteria can get into the bloodstream daily. These toxins can go anywhere the blood flows. We are now aware of a strong link between gum disease and an increase risk for heart disease, diabetes, and many other systemic diseases. Since we know your overall health is affected, we are taking a more aggressive approach to early treatment of gum disease. By eliminating any gum inflammation, we can help your teeth and your overall health.

This year over 40,000 Americans will be diagnosed with oral cancer. There are two main pathways leading to oral cancer. The first is tobacco and alcohol use. The other is through exposure to HPV (Human Papillomavirus – HPV16). Oral HPV is a manifestation of the HPV virus in the mouth and is primarily found in the oropharyngeal complex. When oral cancer is detected early, survival rates are good. Every time you have a cleaning and check-up at Linden Hills Dentistry, our dentists and hygienists will do a visual oral cancer screening for you.

We also highly encourage parents to get the HPV vaccine for their children around age 12.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is the most common type of sleep apnea which occurs when a person’s airway closes and prevents them from taking a breath for at least 10 seconds.

Waking up feeling tired is one of the main signs of obstructive sleep apnea. Daytime sleepiness, loud snoring, restless sleep, morning headaches, elevated blood pressure, anxiety, depression, unexplained weight gain, acid reflux, night sweats and irritability are all common signs and symptoms.

CPAP devices are considered the gold standard in sleep apnea treatment, but patient tolerance and compliance can be a problem. The dentists at Linden Hills Dentistry can fabricate a sleep apnea oral appliance for you as a less invasive treatment option. The appliance is similar to a night guard worn for clenching and grinding, and most patients find them to be comfortable and effective.

Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMD) is caused by jaw, facial muscle, and joint problems. The TMJ is a delicate joint; heavily used and easily abused. Many people hold their stress and tension in this region by clenching or grinding their teeth.

One of the most appreciated treatments we provide for our patients is fabricating an occlusal guard for them. You wear the appliance at night while you sleep and it sets your jaw in the natural rest position.

If pain persists even with wearing an occlusal guard or if a person cannot tolerate sleeping with an appliance, there is another option- therapeutic Botox. When Botox is injected into these areas it can help to relieve the tension and pain. Botox is used to stop muscle contraction but also relieves pain by preventing nerves from releasing inflammatory molecules. Botox inactivates the nerve endings that cause muscles to contract, eliminating involuntary contractions in the jaw.