How can we help you?
We know that informed patients tend to experience better oral health in general, which is why our dental team not only welcomes but encourages your questions. Whether you have questions about oral hygiene, scheduling appointments, how your dental benefits apply, or need more information about a specific service, we'll find the answers you need.
Some of the most frequently asked questions are listed below, and if you have your own that you don't see answered, don't hesitate to call us at (505) 275-2492 or send us an email here. Our team members are very knowledgeable and will be happy to assist you.
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We are following all guidance provided by the NM Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control. Changes to operations include pre-screening patients, remote check-in, temperature checks for employees and patients, pre-rinse before treatment, Molekule medical-grade air purifiers, and enhanced personal protective equipment for the staff.
Click here for more detailed information. (assuming we will have a separate page dedicated to Covid-19) (More info to be added)
Dental Exams & Cleanings
Our dentist likes to use your first visit to our Albuquerque dental office to spend some time getting to know each other. It’s crucial to us that you feel you can trust us to be honest and transparent with all our interactions, and it starts with your first visit to Blue Sky Dental.
What to Expect during Your First Dental Exam
The purpose of your first exam is for us to learn about your dental needs and how we can help you. You will typically receive a full mouth series of x-rays, a panoramic x-ray, select intra-oral photos, and a full comprehensive exam with our dentist.
Throughout this process, we encourage you to ask questions. We want you to feel fully informed about your dental needs, and your questions also help us determine what your oral health priorities are.
Complimentary 3-D Digital Dental Scan
Each new patient examination also includes a complimentary digital scan, which produces a 3-D digital model of your teeth. This digital model not only allows enhanced visualization and education but can also detect changes in tooth wear and gum recession over time.
A Teeth Cleaning with Our Hygienist
In many cases, we will also provide a teeth cleaning with one of our skilled dental hygienists. The exception would be if we find that you have gum disease; in this case, we would schedule a separate in-depth dental cleaning so that we have sufficient time to treat you properly.
Your Personalized Dental Treatment Plan
At the end of your appointment, Dr. Woods will discuss his findings with you and explain any potential areas of concern. You and he will work together to discuss the needed treatment and develop a plan for your future dental care.
If your first visit is a dental emergency, our dentist in Albuquerque will focus on your immediate concern. We will then schedule an appointment for a later date when we have plenty of time to devote to you and conduct a thorough examination.
Schedule Your First Dental Exam with Us
Dr. Woods and his team would love to welcome you to Blue Sky Dental and welcome you to our extended family. Please call our Albuquerque dental office to schedule an appointment to get started.
Periodontal or gum disease is an infection of the gums and is a serious condition that must be treated by a skilled dental hygienist. At our Albuquerque dental office, we provide customized teeth cleanings to help you avoid gum disease and to treat it if it develops.
How Does Gum Disease Develop?
After you brush, a layer of proteins from saliva and oral bacteria form on your tooth surfaces. As more bacteria attach, a natural biofilm forms. If you remove the biofilm with proper brushing and flossing, it remains a colony of mostly harmless and even beneficial bacteria.
If you don’t brush at least twice a day, the film thickens and turns to plaque that becomes a home for harmful cavity-causing bacteria that stimulates an inflammatory response. Gums pull away from the teeth, and without early treatment, the disease progresses to periodontitis, which can cause irreversible damage to tissue and the bones that hold your teeth in place.
Eventually, teeth can loosen, and the only solution is to remove them. Over 70 percent of tooth loss is due to periodontal disease.
Why Is Gum Disease So Dangerous?
Research continues to show an association between periodontal disease and a range of other health issues. Most well-known are diabetes and heart disease, but more recent research has linked gum disease to certain forms of cancer, respiratory disease, even Alzheimer’s and pregnancy complications.
How Do You Treat Gum Disease?
Mild gum disease is called gingivitis and is reversible if treated promptly. Our hygienists will perform a thorough professional teeth cleaning and offer tips for improving your brushing and flossing skills. This step, along with conscientious at-home oral hygiene, are typically enough to eliminate gingivitis.
Advanced gum disease is treated with scaling and root planing (SRP), also referred to as deep cleaning. This treatment removes calculus and bacteria from below the gum line. This is followed by periodontal maintenance, usually at three-month intervals, to prevent bacteria from returning.
Schedule Your Next Teeth Cleaning in Albuquerque, NM
Periodontal disease often has very mild symptoms, which can lead to it being ignored. If you’re overdue for a teeth cleaning, call Blue Sky Dental to schedule an appointment.
The Veterans Administration provides care to Veterans through community providers when the VA cannot provide the treatment needed. The VA Community Care Network (CCN) links the VA to dental providers in the community to ensure that Veterans have access to high-quality, timely oral health care.
A VA Community Care Provider in Albuquerque, NM
Currently, local VA clinics are understaffed and have limited operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This has placed a severe strain on VA dental providers, leading to lengthy delays for veterans to obtain needed dental care in a timely fashion. And in many cases, prompt dental treatment for veterans spares them unnecessary discomfort and can mean the difference between saving and losing a tooth.
At Blue Sky Dental, Dr. Corey Woods is committed to ensuring that our veterans receive proper oral health care and has partnered with the VA through the Community Care Network. This allows veterans in Albuquerque, Placitas, Tijeras, Rio Ranchero and surrounding areas to receive timely dental exams, teeth cleanings, tooth fillings, and other needed treatment needed to maintain a healthy smile.
If you have a family member or know someone who is eligible for VA dental benefits, please call our Blue Sky Dental at (505) 275-2492 for more information.
Preventive dentistry, including dental exams and teeth cleanings at our Albuquerque dental office every six months, is the best way to avoid cavities and gum disease that threaten your oral health. Many dental conditions can be detected by your dentist or hygienist before becoming uncomfortable and a bigger, more costly problem to fix.
Preventive Dentistry Protects Your Oral Health
Unfortunately, many people only go to the dentist when they have a toothache. They may feel they can avoid unnecessary costs or discomfort, but the best way to avoid dental pain and costly dental treatment is regular preventive care.
Gum disease, for example, is often painless when it starts, and the symptoms can be so mild that it can go unnoticed. Without prompt treatment, gum disease or gingivitis can lead to periodontitis, the advanced form of gum disease.
At this stage, if we don’t treat periodontitis promptly, you are at increased risk for tooth loss. Several systemic diseases, including heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer's, and certain kinds of cancer, have all been linked to periodontal disease.
During your routine six-month dental exams, our dentist in Albuquerque can detect a small painless cavity and treat it promptly with a tooth filling. Finding the cavity and treating it when it’s small can help prevent the need for a crown, root canal, or extraction that might be necessary if you delayed treatment.
Schedule Your Next Dental Exam and Cleaning
The perfect time to visit the dentist for preventive exams and cleanings is when your teeth feel fine and aren’t experiencing toothaches or gum disease symptoms. Preventing dental problems from developing is always better than letting them take hold.
If you are due for your next six-month exam and teeth cleaning, please call Blue Sky Dental in Albuquerque to schedule an appointment.
General Dentistry
Your dentist in Albuquerque needs dental x-rays to obtain valuable information about your oral health that he cannot obtain by a visual inspection alone. Digital dental x-rays help Dr. Woods identify cavities, abnormalities in tooth and bone development, bone loss from periodontal disease, infections, and some types of tumors.
Minimal Exposure with Digital X-Rays
Our patients often ask if the radiation from dental x-rays is safe. It’s an important question, but the fact is that all of us are exposed to radiation daily from the air, sunshine, and even soil. The radiation you receive from a full mouth series of dental x-rays with modern digital radiography is approximately equal to a few days of background radiation or the excess radiation you would receive from a cross-country airplane trip.
At Blue Sky Dental, we exclusively use digital x-rays because they expose patients to about 80 percent less radiation than traditional film x-rays.
Dental X-Rays are Safe for Use during Pregnancy
Even the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists deem dental x-rays safe at any stage during pregnancy, noting that delayed treatment, including x-rays, could result in a more serious problem like an infection.
However, we are always abundantly cautious about limiting our patients’ radiation exposure; we always supply a lead apron and limit x-rays taken to those needed for proper and safe diagnoses.
Your Safety is Our Priority at Blue Sky Dental
The health, safety, and well-being of our valued Albuquerque patients are paramount. When we need to take a dental x-ray, we will explain why, what information we hope to obtain, and how it benefits your oral health.
If you have any questions about the safety of dental x-rays or would like to schedule your next dental exam and cleaning, please call Blue Sky Dental.