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General Dentistry & Hygiene Exams, cleanings, fillings & night guards
General dentistry is the care that keeps a healthy mouth healthy: exams, professional cleanings, fillings and the protection of your teeth from wear. Dr. Warga has been in private practice as a general dentist in Winnetka for nearly 35 years, and we welcome people of all ages.
The Comprehensive Exam
Care begins with a comprehensive exam. It covers the teeth and gums and the surrounding structures: the airway, the head and neck muscles and the jaw joints. X-rays are taken where they are needed, and our office has its own 3D cone beam (CBCT) scanner for cases that call for more detail.
From the exam, Dr. Warga develops a diagnosis and a treatment blueprint. Whether you want to maintain your current health or improve it, the plan starts there.
Hygiene Visits and Periodic Exams
A professional cleaning removes the hardened deposits (tartar) that brushing and flossing cannot. At each periodic exam, your teeth, gums, bite and existing restorations are checked for early signs of change.
Regular maintenance does more than prevent problems. Each periodic exam is also a diagnostic visit: it is where we can address an issue before it happens or at its very beginning, and keep larger issues from arising. We recommend an interval for your hygiene visits that suits you.
Fillings
When decay is found, a bonded filling restores the tooth. Where the decay is deep and close to the nerve, every effort is made to avoid the need for root canal treatment by placing desensitizing medications under the filling. When a tooth does need root canal treatment (endodontics), we work in partnership with endodontists, and we coordinate your care with them.
When a filling is no longer enough, a crown restores the tooth to its shape, size and function.
Night Guards
Many people clench or grind their teeth in their sleep without knowing it. Often the first sign is wear that a dentist sees on the teeth. A night guard is an appliance made to fit your teeth and worn over them while you sleep. It does not cure the grinding; it allows the teeth to glide over a smooth surface instead of wearing against each other.
That protects natural teeth from wear, chips and cracks. It protects dental work as well: crowns, bridges, veneers, bonded fillings and implants. Porcelain holds up well in ordinary chewing, but under grinding it can chip, and it can wear the natural teeth that meet it.
A sore jaw, or a headache when you wake, is a different matter. It can point to a larger problem with the jaw joints (TMJ), and that calls for an exam, not only a guard. An appliance is part of that care as well: for TMJ and TMD, Dr. Warga uses an orthotic splint for diagnosis and for therapy.
Worn or chipped edges and grinding can also be signs of a bite problem, which is one reason the bite is checked at every exam. A guard made for you by a dentist is shaped to your own teeth, and it tends to be more comfortable than one bought in a store.
Early Mornings, and New Patients Welcome
We open at 6 a.m., Monday through Thursday, for appointments before work or school. We welcome people of all ages, from early childhood throughout adult life.
To schedule an exam or a hygiene visit, call or text us at (847) 441-6510.
Questions About Exams, Cleanings and Night Guards
Have a question that is not here? Call or text us at (847) 441-6510.
How often should I have my teeth cleaned?
The interval is not the same for everyone, and we recommend one that suits you. A professional cleaning removes hardened deposits (tartar) that brushing and flossing cannot.
What is checked at a periodic exam?
Your teeth, gums, bite and existing restorations are checked for early signs of change. Each periodic exam is also a diagnostic visit: it is where we can address an issue before it happens or at its very beginning, and keep larger issues from arising.
What does a night guard do?
A night guard is worn over the teeth while you sleep. It does not cure clenching or grinding. It allows the teeth to glide over a smooth surface instead of wearing against each other, which protects natural teeth from wear, chips and cracks, and protects crowns, bridges, veneers, bonded fillings and implants.
Do I need a night guard if my jaw does not hurt?
You may. Many people clench or grind their teeth in their sleep without knowing it, and wear on the teeth is often the first sign. A night guard is there to protect the teeth and dental work, whether or not the jaw is sore. A jaw that is sore can point to a larger problem with the jaw joints, which we look at in your exam.
Do you have early morning appointments?
Yes. We open at 6 a.m., Monday through Thursday, for appointments before work or school. Call or text us at (847) 441-6510 to schedule.