Preventive dentistry · Duluth, MN
We test for what causes gum disease and cavities, then treat the cause, so you keep your own teeth for life.
Our oral longevity program, led by Dr. Camille Zelen, RN, DDS, AAACD, goes past the standard cleaning with saliva testing, drill-free care for early cavities, and dental material testing.
Preventive dentistry is dental care that stops tooth decay and gum disease early, through regular exams, cleanings, testing, and early treatment, so teeth stay healthy for life.
We also ask why a problem started. A cavity has a cause, and so does gum disease that keeps coming back. When we find the cause, we can stop the next one. We call this our oral longevity program.
| Standard checkup | Oral longevity program | |
|---|---|---|
| Gum disease | Measure pockets, clean | Saliva test for the bacteria, targeted treatment, laser cleanings |
| Early cavities | Watch and wait | Curodont to rebuild enamel |
| Frequent cavities | Fill each one | Iodine treatment and monthly rinse for the bacteria |
| Materials | Standard materials | Allergy testing on request, amalgam-free |
| Your concern | What we do | Drilling or needles |
|---|---|---|
| Gum disease that keeps coming back | Saliva test, targeted treatment, laser gum cleanings | No drilling |
| Early cavities or white spots | Curodont applied in office | None |
| Frequent cavities | In-office iodine treatment plus a monthly home rinse | None |
| Worry about reactions to dental materials | Blood test for dental material allergies | One blood draw |
Three quick questions, about 30 seconds. You'll see where we'd usually start for someone with your concern.
Your exam and test results set the real plan.
Where we would start
A saliva test identifies the bacteria behind your gum disease. We match your treatment to the results and clean the gums with a laser where it helps.
If you have gum disease or frequent cavities, we may see you more often than twice a year.
Question 1 of 3
What is your main concern?
Gum disease comes from bacteria, and different people carry different bacteria.
A saliva test identifies the bacteria in your mouth. We match your treatment to the results and clean the gums with a laser where it helps.
Dr. Zelen spent nearly four years as an interventional cardiology nurse before dentistry, and that background shapes how seriously we take gum health.
An early cavity starts as a weak spot under the enamel surface, often visible as a white spot.
We brush Curodont Repair Fluoride Plus onto the spot. It helps calcium and fluoride rebuild the enamel over the next few weeks, with no drill and no needle.
Curodont works on early lesions that haven't broken through the surface. Once a cavity forms a hole, it needs a filling.
Some people get cavities no matter how well they brush.
For them, we apply an iodine treatment in office and send you home with a rinse to use once a month, aimed at the cavity-causing bacteria in your mouth.
Some patients wonder if they react to an implant, a crown, or a filling.
A blood test checks your sensitivity to dental materials, so we choose materials your body tolerates. Our office places no amalgam (silver) fillings.
It identifies the bacteria linked to gum disease in your mouth. We use the results to choose treatment that targets your infection instead of guessing.
An early lesion that hasn't broken through the enamel can remineralize, and Curodont helps it rebuild. A cavity with a hole needs a filling.
Curodont Repair Fluoride Plus is labeled for patients four and older. It has no taste and doesn't stain.
Bacteria levels, saliva, and diet all play a part. We test and treat the bacteria side with iodine and a monthly rinse.
Some patients have sensitivities to dental materials. A blood test checks your sensitivity before we place new work.
Most people do well with two visits a year. If you have gum disease or frequent cavities, we may see you more often.
Mount Royal Dental sits at 1624 Woodland Avenue, Duluth, MN 55803, at the corner of Woodland and St. Marie, next to the Mount Royal Shopping Center near UMD. We're an easy drive from Hermantown, Superior, Two Harbors, and Cloquet.
Monday 8 to 3, Tuesday through Thursday 8 to 4:30, Friday closed. Call (218) 464-5222.
