PATIENT INFORMATION

• Introduction
• First Visit
• Scheduling
• Financial Policy
• Insurance
• Infection Control
• Advanced Technology
• Nitrous Oxide
• Home Instructions

Advanced Technology

Precision Dentistry

When you seek care at our office, you are assured that Dr. Cheek and her staff utilize the latest in technology to enhance the quality and fit for your dental care.

Digital Imaging

Dr. Cheek chooses carefully which and when radiographs are taken. There are many guidelines that we follow. Radiographs allow us to see everything we cannot see with our own eyes. Radiographs enable us to detect cavities in between your teeth, determine bone level, and analyze the health of your bone. We can also examine the roots and nerves of teeth, diagnose lesions such as cysts or tumors, as well as assess damage when trauma occurs.

 Dr. Cheek utilizes Digital Imaging Technologies within the office. With digital imaging, exposure time is about 50 percent less when compared to traditional radiographs. Digital imaging can also help us retrieve valuable diagnostic information by enhancing and enlarging the images.  We may be able to see cavities better.  Digital X-rays offer more precision since we view the image on a computer monitor, instead of holding a 35mm film up to the light.

Digital imaging allows us to store patient images, and enables us to quickly and easily transfer them to specialists or insurance companies.

Intraoral Camera

Dr. Cheek utilizes intraoral camera technology that helps enhance your understanding of your diagnosis. An intraoral camera is a very small camera that allows our practice to view clear, precise images of your mouth, teeth and gums, in order for us to accurately make a diagnosis. With clear, defined, enlarged images, you see details that may be missed by standard mirror examinations. This can mean faster diagnosis with less chair-time for you!

Approximately 35,000 new cases of oral cancer are diagnosed each year in the United States.  Although the use of tobacco and alcohol are risk factors in developing oral cancer, approximately 25% of oral cancer patients have no known risk factors.  The stage at which oral cancer is diagnosed is critical to the course of the disease. When detected at its earliest stage, oral cancer is more easily treated and cured. When detected late, the overall five-year survival rate, as reported by the National Institutes of Health, is only about 50 percent.