At the office of Davenport Dental Associates, we take a proactive, whole-person approach to oral health. Regular oral exams are the cornerstone of preventing problems before they develop and catching issues early when they are easiest to treat. During an exam we combine a careful clinical inspection with patient-centered conversation so that each visit produces a clear plan tailored to your needs, age, and lifestyle. Our goal is to help every patient maintain a comfortable, functional, and attractive smile for life while keeping overall health in mind.
Your first oral exam with our team establishes a comprehensive baseline. We start by reviewing your medical and dental history and listening to any concerns you bring — pain, sensitivity, changes in appearance, or functional issues. This conversation helps us understand how your general health, medications, and habits might influence your mouth and smile.
Next comes a methodical clinical exam. We inspect each tooth and the soft tissues, check the condition of existing restorations, evaluate gum health, and assess how your bite functions. If needed, we will recommend diagnostic images to reveal conditions not visible to the naked eye. Throughout the visit, we explain what we’re looking for and why each step matters so you are fully informed about your oral health status.
At the end of the assessment we summarize findings and outline any follow-up care or preventive steps. If treatment is recommended, we present options and clarify the purpose and expected outcomes of each approach. Our aim is to partner with you so decisions reflect both clinical necessity and your personal preferences.
An effective oral exam looks past individual teeth to evaluate the full oral and facial complex. We assess the jaw joints, muscles of chewing, tongue, floor of mouth, and the tissues of the cheeks and throat. Examining these areas helps detect signs of bruxism (clenching and grinding), joint dysfunction, and other issues that can cause pain or wear over time.
Part of a thorough exam is screening for oral lesions and signs that may indicate broader health conditions. Many systemic diseases show oral symptoms — from changes in gum tissue to persistent sores or unusual patches. When we identify anything outside the expected range, we discuss next steps for monitoring or referral so that any concerning findings receive timely attention.
We also evaluate function: how you chew, speak, and swallow, and whether your bite forces are distributed evenly. Small habits or anatomical differences can create long-term wear patterns or sensitivity; identifying these early allows us to recommend simple interventions such as occlusal adjustments, protective appliances, or targeted homecare to protect your smile.
Regular professional cleanings and exams work together to keep oral disease at bay. Even with dedicated at-home care, plaque and calculus can build up in areas that are difficult to reach. Our hygienists remove these deposits and polish teeth to reduce stain and bacterial load, which lowers the risk of cavities and gum disease.
Prevention also involves personalized education. During your visit we’ll review brushing and flossing techniques, suggest tools or products suited to your needs, and discuss dietary habits that influence oral health. For children and adults alike, small adjustments can produce lasting benefits and reduce the need for invasive care later on.
For most patients we recommend routine exams and cleanings twice a year, but frequency can vary based on risk factors such as gum disease, medical conditions, or a history of decay. Our team will recommend a schedule tailored to your needs and help you stay on track with a long-term prevention plan that supports both oral and overall wellness.
Clinical inspection is essential, but diagnostic images are the only way to view the deeper structures of teeth and bone. Digital radiography allows us to identify decay between teeth, evaluate the health of tooth roots and surrounding bone, and detect issues that may not produce symptoms in early stages. Because images are available immediately, they help inform same-day decisions and conversations.
Digital imaging uses lower radiation doses than older film techniques and offers clearer, magnified views that improve diagnostic accuracy. Images become part of your electronic record, making it easy to compare changes over time and share information with specialists when collaborative care is needed. This faster, cleaner workflow benefits both patient comfort and clinical outcomes.
When circumstances call for more detailed three-dimensional information — for example, complex surgical planning or advanced restorative cases — we may discuss cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). CBCT provides a volumetric view of the jaws and surrounding anatomy, aiding precise assessment and treatment planning while complementing the clinical exam.
Different imaging types serve different diagnostic purposes. Small intraoral views, such as periapical and bitewing images, reveal fine detail for individual teeth and the spaces between teeth — making them essential for spotting early decay and evaluating root and bone health. A full-mouth series gives a comprehensive snapshot when broader assessment is necessary.
Panoramic films provide an efficient overview of all teeth, jaws, and adjacent structures and are especially useful for evaluating wisdom teeth, jaw development, and larger lesions. Cephalometric images are used selectively, often in orthodontic planning, to analyze facial proportions and skeletal relationships. Each image type is chosen with a clear diagnostic goal in mind.
When you have questions about why a particular image is recommended, our team will explain the clinical rationale and how the information will influence diagnosis or treatment. We prioritize the smallest set of images needed to answer clinical questions so that care is both effective and conservative.
At Davenport Dental Associates, your oral exams are designed to be thorough, respectful, and practical. We combine careful clinical assessment, modern imaging, and tailored preventive strategies to preserve function and appearance while protecting your overall health. If you’d like to learn more about what to expect at your next exam or discuss personalized preventive care, please contact us for more information.
Yes. We always welcome new patients and their families for care. Feel free to give us a call or reach out to us online to schedule a first visit or for any additional information on our office. We look forward to hearing from you!
Routine dental checkups and professional cleanings help ensure your smile remains in tip-top condition and that any developing problems receive the prompt care they require. While it's a good idea to schedule a checkup and cleaning twice a year, longer or shorter intervals between routine visits depend on your specific needs.
We understand that life gets complicated and busy, and for various reasons, you haven't been able to get to the dentist for care. Don't worry; it's always a good time to get back in touch with the health of your smile.
At Davenport Dental Associates, we offer skilled and compassionate care to address a wide range of dental needs. Whether you need a simple checkup and cleaning, restorations, periodontal treatment, root canal therapy, or the replacement of missing teeth to get your smile back into shape, we provide precise, gentle, stress-free treatment to give you a smile that is as beautiful as it is healthy.
Give us a call today; we're happy to address all your questions and concerns about getting your smile back in tip-top condition.
For pregnant women practicing good oral care and seeing the dentist to maintain a healthy smile is considered an important component of prenatal care. Researchers have found that pregnancy not only increases the risk of oral health problems, but these problems may also lead to pregnancy complications. At the office of Davenport Dental Associates, we provide the skilled and compassionate care required to help expectant mothers keep their teeth and gums in tip-top condition. While certain procedures are not recommended during pregnancy, we provide the necessary care and take all the necessary precautions required.
Thanks to advances in modern dentistry, teeth that have been affected by a range of imperfections or that have sustained damage from trauma or dental decay can be restored to produce a naturally beautiful looking and functional smile.
As skilled and experienced providers of care, our office can effectively improve and enhance the appearance of teeth that are stained, discolored, misshapen, chipped, fractured, gapped, crowded, or broken down due to dental decay. At the office of Davenport Dental Associates, we offer a comprehensive selection of the leading-edge cosmetic solutions from teeth whitening procedures, dental bonding, tooth-colored fillings, and veneers, to prosthetic solutions and dental implants to rebuild complete and beautiful smiles.
Contact our office to learn more about the many ways we can help you create the smile you've always wanted.
If you're visiting Davenport Dental Associates for the first time, it is helpful that you contact your former dental office and have your records sent over to us. Make note of any problems you may have so that you can discuss them with your dentist.
To provide efficient service, we ask you to please bring your insurance card, an ID, plus any referral slips or diagnostic records given to you by another office. If you are taking medications, please note or make a list of what they are as you will need to provide that information.
Yes! We assure you that both you and your family will be in good hands at the office of Davenport Dental Associates.
We do our best to make sure every patient who steps into our office for care is put at ease. We provide precise and gentle care and our skilled, compassionate team strives to make every visit stress-free. You can rest assured that your smile is in the best of hands and that we are doing all we can to ensure your comfort throughout every procedure. While we always take the time to explain every step in care, feel free to ask us any questions about local anesthesia and methods of dental sedation.
At the office of Davenport Dental Associates, we strive to provide the highest quality of care to address all your dental needs. Once we've had the opportunity to examine your smile, we can give you a clear picture of any dental issues that are present, along with a quote for what the cost of treatment will be. The cost of care all depends upon the extent and complexity of issues affecting the health or appearance of your smile and the types of procedures that are required. Our goal is to make dental care more affordable so that you can begin treatment without any additional stress or delay.
Keep in mind that with routine dental checkups and periodic care, we can help prevent dental disease while treating emerging problems early in their onset to avoid larger issues and more expensive care down the road.
Routine dental checkups and preventive care procedures may be covered under your dental insurance plan requiring little to no out-out-of-pocket expense. We invite you to check our financial information page or give us a call to find out if our office participates with your plan, and if you have any other questions about dental insurance, dental savings plans, forms of payment, or financing options. We welcome your inquiries and do our best to help you begin care without additional stress or delay.
If you've lost a tooth due to injury, decay, gum disease, or any other reason, we recommend dental implants to replace missing teeth. Dental implants come the closest to replicating the look, feel, and function of your natural teeth.
Absolutely! Both flossing and brushing regularly are equally important to maintain your oral health. While brushing cleans the surface of your teeth, flossing cleans in between them. Flossing is important to prevent plaque buildup, which can cause gums to recede and lead to periodontal disease.
Even if you have dentures, it is still necessary to see a dentist! Dental checkups help ensure that your dentures are comfortable, fitting properly, and that there are no other problems. Beyond assessing your dentures, our dentist will also perform a thorough examination of the jawbone, and surrounding soft tissues both inside the mouth, the face, and neck, to confirm that you remain in good oral health.
Emergency dental care is a service we hope you'll never need- but if you do, the office of Davenport Dental Associates is here for you!
Whether you're suffering from a chipped tooth, toothache, or any problem affecting your oral health, you can be sure to get the prompt attention and compassionate care you require at our office. Patient care and comfort are our top priorities, and we offer a comprehensive range of the most advanced services to address a broad spectrum of dental needs.
While the pain of a toothache is one of the more common reasons that patients come to our office for emergency dental care, we also promptly treat emergencies that are not necessarily painful like crowns that have been dislodged and broken dentures that leave embarrassing gaps in one's smile.
You can rest assured that your oral health is in the best of hands at our office. We'll quickly determine exactly what's wrong, explain your treatment options, and then provide the precise and gentle care you require to alleviate your discomfort and get you back on the path to oral health and wellness.
Your health and comfort are our top priorities. If your dental emergency is painful, if it affects the appearance of your smile, or if you suspect that an infection is present, our office will make every effort to see you as soon as possible for care.
At the office of Davenport Dental Associates, we welcome patients of all ages for care and offer a comprehensive range of services designed to help every member of your family maintain a beautiful and healthy smile. Whether you or a loved one needs a routine checkup and cleaning, fillings, same-day crowns, a cosmetic smile makeover, the replacement of missing teeth or require the services of a skilled and compassionate emergency dentist, you can rely on our office for the highest quality care.
For more information on our office and the many services we provide, or to schedule an appointment for care, give us a call today.
Our goal is to help every patient experience the benefits of good oral health and a beautiful smile. We value the trust you have placed in our office and strive to provide solutions that meet your dental needs and expectations of care.
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