Dr. Hank Michael is changing Sarasota one smile at a time! He and his highly trained dental team are doing this by educating their patients. Tooth decay and gum disease can be prevented with proper diet and oral hygiene. Other forms of dental disease such as TMJ, bruxism, and oral cancer may be treated more successfully with early detection. At the new patient dental exam a complete clinical evaluation is performed along with dental hygiene instructions. Based on what Dr. Michael finds during his exam, he recommends the type and frequency of dental cleanings, periodontal or restorative therapy necessary, and possibly a referral to a specialist if an endodontic abscess or other oral pathology is identified as being suspicious. Dr. Michael feels that the most important part of this visit is observing your dental hygiene technique and building on it using some very simple dental cleaning devices such as inter-dental brushes and an electric tooth brush.