Our preventive services make it easy for us to help you stay a step ahead of problems like decay and gum disease.

Take Control of Your Oral Health!

Preventive Dentistry

Dr. Andrew Cole and his team are committed to helping you achieve problem-free oral health. Whatever condition your teeth are currently in, it’s never too late to start working towards a healthier smile. Taking positive steps today will help you and your family avoid more serious oral health problems tomorrow.

Preventive services like routine dental exams, cleanings, and x-rays at our Chehalis, WA dental office are the foundation for a problem-free smile. The best way we can help you avoid costly and complicated dental care is to monitor your oral health on a regular basis. These routine visits allow us to identify dental conditions like decay and gum disease while they are still small and easy to treat.

Untreated dental conditions can cause embarrassment, discomfort, and difficulty enjoying the simple things in life like eating your favorite foods. Our goal is to do everything we can to help prevent problems like cavities and gum disease from occurring in the first place.

Dental Exams & Cleanings

The American Dental Association recommends dental cleanings and exams every six months. Routine exams allow Dr. Cole to monitor your dental health, note any conditions that need attention, and develop a personalized treatment plan designed to address your unique needs.

We use digital x-rays because they are a valuable diagnostic and educational tool that allows us to share with you detailed images of your teeth. Intraoral cameras let you see what we see when we examine your mouth, which makes you an active part of your dental care.

During your exam, Dr. Cole may find that you can benefit from a fluoride application a fluoride application or even a prescription high-fluoride toothpaste. Both treatments strengthen and protect your teeth which helps prevent complicated problems from developing in the future.

Every exam at our office includes a visual oral cancer screening. Oral cancer is aggressive but highly treatable when caught in the early stages.

Professional Cleanings

Professional dental cleanings every six months enable us to monitor the condition of your gums and check for periodontal disease. Some people experience symptoms like bleeding, inflamed, or tender gums; others with gum disease have no symptoms at all. If our hygienist finds signs of gum disease, she will take steps to treat it before it damages your oral health.

In its earliest stage, gum disease is called gingivitis and is usually treatable with a thorough dental cleaning. If gum disease advances to periodontitis, our hygienist will recommend a deep cleaning called scaling and root planing. This procedure involves the removal of plaque and tartar from the surfaces of teeth and below your gum line.

Without treatment, gum disease attacks the supporting bone around teeth and ultimately leads to tooth loss. If you have periodontitis, we may need to do cleanings every three or four months to prevent your conditioning from worsening.

We will be happy to offer you tips for proper oral hygiene practices you can follow at home. During your cleaning appointment, our hygienist will give you a refresher on the proper techniques for brushing and flossing, so you get the most out of your efforts.

Please Call to Schedule Your Next Preventive Exam

At the office of Andrew Cole DDS, we are dedicated to making it easy for you to achieve optimal oral health. Prevention isn’t just easy on your budget—it is essential for good oral health. Dental problems can cause embarrassment, discomfort, and reduced quality of life. It just makes good sense to do whatever we can to prevent this from occurring.

Please call our office to arrange an appointment so we can help you enjoy a problem-free smile and the confidence that goes along with it!

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I go to the dentist if I have a cold sore?

Cold sores, or fever blisters as they are sometimes called, are caused by the herpes simplex virus and typically appear on the mouth. Herpes virus is contagious, and the number of people worldwide who have the virus is staggering; the World Health Organization estimates that nearly four billion people under age 50 are infected.

Because of the direct contact children have with others – sharing, drinking from the same cup, kisses for everyone – many people contract the virus in childhood. However, not everyone who has the virus develops cold sores or may develop them infrequently.

The herpes virus can also cause similar outbreaks in other areas like your nose, fingers, and eyes. It’s important not to touch the cold sore as you can transmit it to other parts of your body.

If you develop a cold sore and have an appointment scheduled, please call us first. Treating you when you have an active cold sore (especially in the blistering stage) may be painful for you because it can crack and bleed during treatment.

At the office of Andrew Cole DDS, we care about your oral health and your overall well-being. Please call us if you have questions or need to reschedule your appointment.

What should I expect from my appointment?

We recommend routine visits for exams and cleanings twice a year so we can monitor your oral health and catch problems while they are still small and easy to treat.

When you arrive for your appointment, a member of our team will promptly bring you back to your treatment room so you can get settled.

Next, Dr. Cole will start your exam by checking and noting the condition of each tooth and taking diagnostic x-rays as needed. Every checkup also includes a caries risk assessment and an oral cancer screening.

If he finds something that needs to be addressed, he will use our intraoral camera to show you exactly what's happening with the tooth and why treatment is necessary. Seeing the problem for yourself helps you become an active part of the process.

Next, you will see your hygienist for a professional cleaning to remove plaque and tartar that linger on your teeth and cause decay and gum disease. She will also check for signs of gum disease and make recommendations for self-care at home.

Before you leave, a member of our team will meet with you to discuss your treatment, how your insurance benefits apply, and estimate what your costs will be.

If it’s time for your semi-annual checkup and cleaning, please call our Chehalis dental office to arrange an appointment.

How often should I see the dentist?

We agree with the recommendation of the American Dental Association that says preventive dental visits should occur every six months. This interval allows us to monitor your dental health on an ongoing basis so we can stay a step ahead of problems like decay and gum disease.

During these appointments, Dr. Cole will perform a comprehensive exam. He will note the condition of your teeth and any changes since your last visit. If necessary, he will take diagnostic x-rays to see if any problems are developing inside your teeth that we need to address.

These appointments are also the perfect time for you to ask any oral health questions you have. Nobody expects you to be an expert in dental care, and we welcome your questions.

You will then see the hygienist who will perform a thorough cleaning and check your gums for signs of periodontal disease. This condition is usually easy to treat when it is caught soon enough, which is another reason we recommend visits at six-month intervals.

Preventive services at our Chehalis dental office combined with conscientious oral hygiene at home are the secrets to a healthy, problem-free smile. If it’s time for your next cleaning and exam, please call our office to schedule an appointment or use our convenient online contact form.

Meet Our Doctor:

Andrew Cole DDS

Dr. Cole was born and raised in Chehalis, WA. After graduating W.F. West High School in 2007, he went to Centralia College for two years, then transferred to Washington State University Vancouver where he received a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in 2012. He went on to complete a Doctorate of Dental Surgery at the University of Washington in 2017.

In his free time, Dr. Cole enjoys spending time with his wife and son. Dr. Cole enjoys having the opportunity to practice in his hometown and to build lifelong relationships in this ...