In our practice, we do everything we can to make sure our patients keep the healthiest, most natural smile possible. Because we believe in minimally invasive dentistry, we use products and systems that focus on bacterial reduction to create a healthy, well balanced oral cavity. Here is an introduction to the products we use and why we think they are amazing!
Dental caries (tooth decay) is a growing issue in all age groups. We are proud to be doing something about it. We are partnering with CariFree to come together and take responsibility for managing and reversing this disease progression.
We believe in conservative dentistry and Carifree helps us treat tooth decay conservatively. Minimally invasive procedure means doing everything we can to ensure that as much of the natural, healthy tooth is retained, it’s the fact that we have our patients best interests prioritized.
The CariFree System focuses on 5 key factors in reducing caries risk and stopping or reversing disease progression:
- pH Neutralization: Reduces growth and acid production of cariogenic bacteria, supports healthy oral bacteria growth
- Antibacterial: Significantly reduces total bacteria levels when high levels are identified
- Fluoride: Aids in remineralization and inhibits acid production of cariogenic bacteria
- Xylitol: Reduces growth and acid production of cariogenic bacteria
- Nano HA (Ca PO4): Aids in remineralization with nano particles of hydroxyapatite
How we use CariFree in our Practice
Dr. Duke uses the CariScreen Test to measure the magnitude of harmful bacteria on your teeth. The CariScreen Test is quick, easy and performed chairside during your dental visit. It takes less than a minute to determine if you are at a low, moderate, high risk or extreme high risk of developing cavities in the future. If the bacteria are found at a high level on your teeth, Dr. Duke will prescribe a personalized treatment plan to counteract them. The treatment usually consists of using a series of CariFree antibacterial mouth rinses to reduce the bacteria levels on your teeth and to restore a healthy pH balance, she will then monitor the level of bacteria over time. In addition to reducing caries risk we find that Carifree mouth rinses also get rid of tonsillar rocks and many patients, especially college students, report fewer instances of sore throats.
You can learn more about CariFree and caries prevention on their website.