Medical Center Dental Group

The dental hygienists at The Medical Center Dental Group are trained to provide you with state-of-the-art care. In addition to their required college curriculum, they have all participated in extensive continuing education courses given at the Las Vegas Institute (LVI) for advanced dental studies. This prestigious institution was recently featured on the television show, Extreme Makeover . Furthermore, our hygienists' focus is on a philosophy created by the JP Consultant Institute. This is known as "Evolutionary Hygiene".

What is "Evolutionary Hygiene"?
"Evolutionary Hygiene" is a systematic and non-surgical approach to treating periodontal disease in any stage. We design individualized treatment plans for our patients to reach the optimum gingival health. Studies show that repetitive therapeutic therapy is the best method to treat any stage of gum disease. However, in more involved conditions, some patients may need a more surgical approach to address their periodontal infection. We then would treat the case with laser periodontal therapy or refer to a gum specialist. (See the laser periodontics portion of our website for more information)

What should I expect at my first
dental hygiene visit?
Many new patients that enter into our office need more than "just a cleaning". At a typical dental hygiene visit, you can expect us to do several things that include the following:

Perform a thorough gum and periodontal evaluation
Screen for decay with x-rays and the diagnodent (our cavity detecting laser)
Effectively and comfortably clean your teeth with hand and/or microsonic scaling instruments.
Polish superficial stain, floss, and apply a fluoride treatment to protect enamel.
Instruct you on how to care for your teeth and gums at home.
Determine frequency of visits and if repetitive therapy is needed to treat periodontal infection.

What is repetitive therapy?
Our hygienists have found that repetitive therapy is the best way to approach bacteria and infection in your mouth. This treatment method removes the toxins to allow the gums to heal. Furthermore, it helps to prevent further destruction of the bone that supports the teeth. If the hygienist and doctor determine you are in an active state of periodontal infection, they may recommend a series of appointments to treat your specific condition. We call this periodontal therapy or repetitive therapy.

What is gum disease and how do you know
if you have it?
Statistics show 90-95% of the population is in some state of gum disease. The Medical Center Dental Group's motto is "healthy gums don't bleed"; however, most patients admit that their gums have always bled when they have their teeth cleaned. In the past, bleeding gums was more acceptable and pretty much every patient was put on a six-month interval of having their teeth cleaned. Fortunately, the standard of care has changed, and we now know that this condition is not acceptable. We treat each patient as an individual. Some people may come two, three, four, or even five times a year for their dental hygiene visits to maintain a healthy mouth. And this interval can change as things in someone's life changes, such as diet, health, stress level, systemic conditions, etc. We treat the patient the same way we would want to be treated ourselves. For this reason, we access our patients at each and every visit to determine if their treatment plan is working for them as an individual. At The Medical Center Dental Group, we want our patients to get their maximum benefits from their insurance; however, we will not jeopardize providing the highest level of care. Our philosophy is to treat the patient with their best interest in mind, rather than be mandated by the insurance companies that have no dental expertise.