Preventative Dentistry

A lot of us try to find a solution after we encounter a problem. What if we could make sure that the problem doesn’t occur in the first place? As the saying goes, prevention is better than cure. That’s what preventive dentistry is all about.

Preventive dentistry is an oral care routine designed to keep your teeth and gums healthy. The aim is to prevent various problems like tooth decay, cavities, gum disease (periodontitis), enamel damage, etc. from happening in the first place. For example, if we can keep plaque from building up on tooth surface, we can prevent cavities. By doing this, we arrest the progress of processes that might eventually lead to an unhealthy oral state.

Preventive dentistry combines oral care and practices at home with those carried out by dental professionals. So it can be as simple as brushing and flossing regularly at home to regular check-ups and getting your teeth cleaned by an expert. The American Dental Association (ADA) recommends a visit to your dentist once every six months. This helps your dentist track your oral health, prevent development of any diseases, preserve your beautiful smile and save you from a host of possible difficulties down the road.

Both children and adults stand to benefit from preventive dentistry. Tooth cleaning must start as soon as your child develops his or her first tooth. Be sure to visit a pediatric dentist to keep in place an overall oral preventive health program for your child.

Children need preventive care to enable formation of strong and healthy adult teeth. Ages 6 to 14 are cavity prone years and proper oral care should be in place. Dental sealants and fluoride treatments prevent cavity formation protecting your children’s teeth from decay. Adults also benefit from preventive dentistry as it helps them maintain their natural teeth and healthy gum tissue for years to come. Your mouth is a breeding place for a variety of bacteria. Maintaining oral health helps you maintain the overall health of your body as well.

Preventive oral care involves both home care strategies and dental procedures, some of which are listed below.

Oral practices at home: The most important practices are probably brushing and flossing. You should at the minimum brush twice a day, or after each meal. You should also floss everyday. These activities prevent the build up of plaque, a film like coat of bacteria on the teeth. If plaque is not removed, it builds up to form hardened tartar, which then ultimately leads to tooth decay or gum disease.

Fluoride treatment: Fluoride helps strengthen the teeth avoiding its decay. Your dentist can give a fluoride treatment at the office and recommend the use of fluoride toothpastes and mouthwashes at home.

Diet: A balanced diet ensures that your teeth receive all the nutrients for stronger growth. It is good to limit the intake of sugars and simple carbohydrates. These feed the plaque-producing bacteria. A varied diet ensures you get the vitamins and minerals that will help you maintain your oral health.

Dental visits: If you wait to feel the symptoms before going to the dentist, a lot of damage would have already been made. So it is better to schedule regular visits so the conditions can be caught early on. It is advised to have a check up every six months. For children, oral growth and development have to be monitored more frequently.

Dental cleaning: Dental cleaning by a professional helps remove the plaque and stains that evaded us during our routine oral care. This can be done about once in six months, along with a checkup for decay.

X-rays: Not all conditions are visible to the naked eye such as the cavities present in between the teeth and issues below the gum line. These are caught with X-rays.

Mouthguards: To protect your teeth from breaking during activities such as sports events, you can wear a mouthguard. It can be custom made to fit your mouth perfectly. It is also used to treat conditions like teeth grinding which wears down the teeth because of increased pressure.

Orthodontics: Improper bites affect speech and eating and misaligned teeth are harder to keep clean. Dental braces or invisible braces such as Invisalign can be used to correct the bad bite limiting problems in the future.

Sealants: Sealants protect teeth from decay. A thin composite coat is placed on the chewing surfaces of the teeth at the back to protect them.

Avoid smoking and drinking: Dry mouth, discoloration of teeth, and plaque buildup are some of the effects of smoking, alcohol consumption and chewing tobacco. They negatively affect your oral health. Smoking also causes gum diseases, tooth loss and oral cancer.

We have highly skilled dentists who can give you the highest quality treatment. We have successfully completed various dental procedures sending home happy patients who flaunt their smile with confidence. Schedule an appointment or call us to set up your preventive health care routine. Our experts will be happy to answer any questions that you may have so you can make an informed decision.