Enhancing Your Smile

& Oral Health

Dana Keith DDS Silver Spring & Cloverly, MD

What is General Dentistry?

General dentistry focuses on care and prevention rather than preserving or restoring your oral health. It is essential because it provides the educational resources and materials to maximize your oral health, and ensure your smile is perfectly radiant!

General dentistry includes everything from routine teeth cleanings to more complicated procedures, such as fillings and extractions.  Candace Kwakye DDS are experienced in several different areas of dentistry, including general, restorative, and cosmetic dentistry. Through continuous education, compassion, and a focus on each patient, we help people in and around Silver Spring & Cloverly, MD achieve healthy gums, strong teeth, and good oral habits.

Do you want Candace Kwakye DDS as your dental care provider? Contact us at 301-236-9000 !

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Dana Keith DDS Silver Spring & Cloverly, MD
Dana Keith DDS Silver Spring & Cloverly, MD

General Dentistry Services

Exams & Cleanings

The truth is, there are many oral health problems that can happen with or without proper daily oral care. That’s why it is important to have regular dental exams and cleanings at least every six months. Regular exams by Dr. Candace Kwakye DDS and her team help stop problems before they arise, saving you cost-effective treatment in the future. During your exam and cleaning, we check for any problems, including cavities and tooth decay. We also inspect your teeth and gums for signs of gum disease before we clean, polish, and rinse your teeth to remove any tartar or plaque. Each exam and cleaning takes less than one hour!

Extractions

While we do everything we can to keep a patient’s tooth, sometimes extraction is the best course of action. When your tooth needs to be removed, your dentist may be able to extract the tooth during a regular checkup. Or, if you prefer, you can schedule another visit for the procedure. Thanks to anesthetics and our gentle approach, the typical tooth extraction will be relatively fast and painless. We may recommend that you have the extracted tooth replaced to avoid complications such as shifting teeth.

Fluoride Treatment

Fluoride is an effective way to prevent cavities and tooth decay. Fluoride also prevents plaque from building up and hardening on the surface of your teeth. Having fluoride applied to your teeth only takes a few minutes. You will want to have a fluoride treatment every three, six, or twelve months depending on Dr. Kwakye’s recommendation.

Gum Disease Treatment

If you are diagnosed with gum disease, one of the most effective treatments is root planing and scaling before the disease becomes too severe. Root planing and scaling cleans between the gums and the teeth down to the roots. In other words, the procedures are essentially a deep dental cleaning.

There are two different methods for root planing & scaling: mechanical, involving dental tools to manually scrape away debris. Or ultrasonic, where a tiny vibrating wand breaks up plaque and cleans your teeth. Call 301-236-9000 to learn more about what treatment may be best for you.

Wisdom Teeth Removal

When you have wisdom teeth attempting to grow into the back of your gum line, there is often little space for them to fit in properly. Because of this phenomenon, your wisdom teeth may become impacted or grow in at an angle that is not in alignment with your current molars. The common practice to resolve this problem is to remove your wisdom teeth.

The process of removing wisdom teeth does not take very long, and recovery can take as little as a week. We will explain what to expect and provide instructions for a comfortable, efficient healing process.

Fillings

One of the most typical dental procedures we perform are fillings. Fillings can be made out of gold, porcelain, plastic, or ceramic, and are often used to fill in cavities. This procedure is completed within one visit at our office.

Oral Cancer Screenings

Our team is not only concerned about your teeth, but also your health. We want to do all we can to increase awareness and perform routine oral cancer screenings for our patients. During your regular dental visits, we routinely screen for oral cancer. This is a precautionary measure. If we do find suspicious sores and cancer is found and diagnosed early enough, it may be easier to contain and treat.

During the screening, Dr. Kwakye examines the entire inside of your mouth, looking for red or white patches or mouth sores. Though these symptoms may be caused by other, less serious problems, it is still important to rule out oral cancer. Then we examine the rest of your face, throat, and head for lumps or abnormalities. If any curious lesions or lumps are spotted then we may perform additional diagnostic tests. When it comes to oral cancer, early diagnosis is the best method to stop a potentially life-threatening disease in its tracks.

Laser Therapy

Laser therapy is used for both general and cosmetic dentistry. It provides patients with a more comfortable dental treatment experience. There are soft tissue and hard tissue laser treatments. Hard tissue treatments include cavity detection, dental fillings, and tooth sensitivity reduction. Soft tissue treatments include gum reshaping, gum surgery, and muscle attachment improvements. Compared to traditional treatment methods, laser therapy requires much less recovery time, and there is no need for anesthesia. 

During the screening, Dr. Kwakye examines the entire inside of your mouth, looking for red or white patches or mouth sores. Though these symptoms may be caused by other, less serious problems, it is still important to rule out oral cancer. Then we examine the rest of your face, throat, and head for lumps or abnormalities. If any curious lesions or lumps are spotted then we may perform additional diagnostic tests. When it comes to oral cancer, early diagnosis is the best method to stop a potentially life-threatening disease in its tracks.

Pediatric Dentistry

There is no time like the present when it comes to caring for your child’s oral hygiene. The sooner your child begins regular dental checkups and an oral hygiene routine, the happier and healthier they will be throughout their life. Though their needs are similar to adult oral hygiene, your child requires specialized care. In addition to regular dental care, our pediatric dentist makes sure your child’s teeth are developing properly. 

Our staff has gone through unique training involving child psychology, growth, and development. Dr. Kwakye is well-equipped to manage the oral health and development for children. We will monitor your child’s individual needs and provide the best, most comfortable treatment for their smile. Of all people, those little ones deserve a healthy, functioning smile they can find confidence in.

Digital X-Rays

Many teeth abnormalities are not noticeable to the naked eye. X-rays allow practitioners to get the full picture of your oral health. In our office, we use advanced digital X-ray technology in order to provide you with dental imaging that is safe and convenient. Our digital X-rays provide clearer pictures and expose patients to less radiation than traditional x-ray technology.

Intraoral Cameras

Using intraoral cameras during your regular exams and procedures gives an unparalleled view of the inside of your mouth. This technology gives us the opportunity to see exactly what is going on within your mouth and observe problems that X-rays could potentially miss. With this technology, we are also able to more accurately explain thorough cleaning procedures and see any problem areas that may exist. After an exam with an intraoral camera, you will feel much more informed about your dental health. 

Mouthguards

If you participate in any kind of full-contact sports, the American Dental Association recommends that you wear a mouthguard. While there are pre-made mouthguards and “boil-and-bite” mouthguards, you can also have a mouthguard custom-made by us. A custom-made mouthguard is typically more comfortable than traditional mouthguards, and you can rest assured that the protection of your teeth is in the hands of our professionals.

Dental Emergencies

If you are having a dental emergency or toothache, our practice is available for convenient same day appointments. If you have a cavity, damaged or chipped teeth, a missing filling or just need urgent tooth-ache relief, we will get you in our office and out of pain as quickly as possible. We genuinely care about making your treatment pain-free, and we utilize many advanced techniques, including sedation and laser dentistry, to accomplish this. 

We understand that dental emergencies can happen suddenly and be extremely inconvenient, but we are here to help. Call us now to get the relief you need as soon as possible as delaying treatment may lead to serious health problems.

Are you in pain? Call us at 301-236-9000

Have a question about one of our general dentistry services? Check out our FAQs!

Dana Keith DDS Silver Spring & Cloverly, MD

“Dr. Kwakye deserves a standing ovation! She, along with her staff are very thorough and professional. They make every patient feel like a superstar once they walk through the doors. I came in to get a check up and Invisalign and I must say, I am highly impressed by the outcome and services. Professionalism and Service, 10/10. Thanks Dr. Kwakye!” – Tiara H.