general dentistry

Our skilled specialists perform a wide variety of general dental treatments, including dental cleanings, consultations, composite fillings, root canal treatments, oral surgery, implantology, esthetic and cosmetic dentistry, and tooth extractions.

Prevention

It is always easier and cheaper to prevent dental problems than to treat your teeth later. That is why prevention is a top priority in the dental practice Brigantijn. Our prevention team ensures that your teeth are not only clean, but also stay healthy. A lot of attention is paid to the gums of our patients. Bleeding gums is always an indicator that something is wrong. We encourage you to pay attention to your gums and the gums of your children as well as provide clear instructions on how to do it correctly.

Prevention for children also covers brushing instructions, sealants and fluoride usage. We understand that during orthodontic treatments in the “bracket” phase children need our special support, because it is always difficult to ensure sufficient cleaning between the brackets.

Oral hygiene, cleaning and consultation

Good oral hygiene is required not just for maintaining your oral health, but it is essential for maintaining your overall health too. Poor oral hygiene can lead to both dental and medical problems, including gum diseases, infection, strokes, heart diseases, and diabetes.

Professional cleanings, along with daily brushing and flossing, are the best way to prevent periodontal diseases and other health problems. Our professional teeth cleanings remove dental plaque and tartar in order to prevent cavities, gingivitis and gum diseases. Most dental cleanings follow a routine procedure that is rarely painful.

During the intake and at each semi-annual examination at the dental practice Brigantijn a dentist checks not only the teeth but also the gums of the patient in accordance with the Dutch Periodontal Screening Index and assigns a DPSI-score. If you suffer from bleeding gums, retracted gums, loose teeth with the DPSI-score equal to 3 or higher, then you probably have periodontitis. This can have several causes. One cause may be bacteria. By means of a simple test a dentist determines whether this is an effect of bacteria and, if so, which bacteria have caused periodontitis. Based on the results of the test, a treatment plan is offered to you. A periodontitis treatment lasts at least two years and it is quite expensive, but you can decide and choose if you need it.

Fillings

Until recently it was common practice to use amalgam fillings. Should they be replaced with white fillings (composite resin fillings)? Please consider the following tips for an informed decision.

White fillings have three advantages:

1. they are tooth-colored and therefore less noticeable than gray amalgam fillings;
2. the white filling material is bonded to the tooth, which means that no healthy parts of the tooth need to be ground (while this is required for an amalgam filling);
3. the bonding technique ensures good adhesion of the filling to the tooth, making it stronger.

Disadvantages of white fillings:

1. Not all white fillings are as strong as amalgam ones and that is why they are less frequently used for large fillings in molars.
2. Repairing teeth with the white filler is more time-consuming which leads to higher costs.
3. After the application of a white filling, the tooth can become more sensitive for some time, in particular at the transition from hot to cold or vice versa, and when pressure is applied to the respective tooth. That has to do with the tension between the filling and the natural tooth. The greater the pressure is, the more sensitive the tooth might be.

Oral Surgery

When you are considering dental surgery, there are many matters to take into consideration. You need to consider the dental procedure, the cost, and the provider of the care.

Dentist Frank Eickhoff is an expert in a wide-array of oral surgeries. He takes the time to create a detailed plan that meets your individual needs. During a consultation, Dr. Eickhoff performs a thorough analysis of your teeth and mouth to understand what procedures would be useful for you. He will then discuss the plan with you, explain all the details and respond to all your questions.

At the dental practice Brigantijn, we offer our patients multiple surgical options to ensure that your oral health is maintained and improved. These surgeries include:

• Wisdom Teeth Extraction
• Crown Lengthening
• Removal of Dental Cysts
• Sinus Lifts
• Wisdom Teeth Extraction – the process of removing your wisdom teeth can be daunting. Frank Eickhoff makes sure this dental procedure runs smoothly and quickly.
• Crown Lengthening – this procedure is performed to expose more of the tooth structure. Frank Eickhoff will remove gum tissue, bone, or parts of both so that more of the tooth will show. This surgery is commonly used for patients with “gummy smiles” so that less gum shows. It can also be used to help support a crown or filling.
• Removal of Oral Cysts – cysts are sacs filled with fluids or semi-fluid materials. These cysts can grow in the mouth, especially in areas where a tooth’s nerve has died, or by a dead tooth root. The process of removing oral cysts is a delicate one, but Frank Eickhoff is an expert in this procedure. A root canal might be necessary to ensure that new oral cysts do not grow at a later date, but Frank Eickhoff is here to serve those needs as well.
• Sinus Lifts – the sinus lift procedure is typically performed to allow for room for dental implants. It adds bone to your upper jaw, where your molars and premolars sit. Our team will help you learn more about this procedure and what it can do for your oral health during a dental consultation.