PREVENTIVE DENTISTRY & ORAL HYGIENE CARE

Preventive dentistry is a lifelong commitment. Regularly scheduled preventative treatments can save your time and money while helping you avoid complicated dental treatment.

Life Stages: Childhood

Preventive dentistry is a key to healthy mouth and smile for your child. To be successful, any preventative program should start at a very young age(infancy) and continue throughout adult life. Positive dental experiences early in life build confidence and trust and lead to proper and regular dental visits later on in life.
Tooth cleaning, flossing, polishing and fluoride treatments are all part of your child's prevention program. But there is much more. For example, your pediatric dentist can apply sealants to protect your child from tooth decay, help you to select a mouth guard to prevent sports injuries and provide early diagnosis and care of orthodontic problems. Proper oral hygiene care is a combination of dental office and home preventive care to ensure your child a happy smile.

What is Plaque?

Plaque is a film of bacteria and mucous that grows on your teeth. Some of the bacteria in the plaque make acids which decay your teeth. Other kinds of bacteria in the plaque make toxins which cause gum disease. The easiest and most effective way to remove the plaque from your teeth is to brush and floss.

Dental Sealants - the plastic-like coating, called pit and fissure sealants is applied, to the chewing surfaces of the back teeth (premolars and molars) and to indentations and nicks in the teeth's surfaces. It acts as a barrier, protecting enamel against plague and acids.
Sealants are a safe and effective way to prevent cavities among schoolchildren and teenagers. In some cases, sealants can even stop tooth decay that has already started or significantly reduce a child's risk for having untreated cavities.

Sealants are used by dentists as a preventive measure to ward off decay that tends to settle into hidden crevices in the teeth. Sealants are helping to create generation of youngsters that is cavity free. Statistics show that one out of every three children between the ages 5 and 17 has never had a cavity. The use of sealants does not eliminate the need for regular brushing and flossing, attention to the amount of sugary foods consumed, and to the frequency with which they are eaten. Teeth are subjected to a 20-minute erosive action that can break down healthy enamel.

Brushing and flossing help remove food particles and harmful plaque from the inner, outer and chewing surfaces of teeth. They are necessary to maintain healthy teeth and gums. A child-size brush with soft, rounded or polished bristles is recommended. Check your child's toothbrush often and replace it when it is worn. Bent or frayed bristles will not remove plaque effectively and may injure gums.

Begin daily brushing as soon as the child's first tooth erupts. A pea-size amount of fluoride toothpaste can be used after the child is old enough not to swallow it. Children should be taught to spit out remaining toothpaste and rinse with water after brushing. By age 4 or 5, children should be able to brush their own teeth twice a day with supervision until about age seven to make sure they are doing thorough job. However, each child is different.

Flossing - removes the plaque that grows in between the teeth where a toothbrush can't reach. Flossing should begin when any two teeth touch.

Fluoride - children who receive a balanced diet will get all the nutrients they need with one possible exception - fluoride. Fluoride is vital for strong, decay-resistant teeth. It is one of the most effective elements for preventing tooth decay. This mineral combines with tooth enamel to strengthen it against decay. Fluoride may also reverse microscopic cavities by enhancing the process in which minerals, including calcium, are incorporated into the teeth.

The most effective way for your child to get fluoride's protection is by drinking water containing the right amount of the mineral. This is of special benefit to children, because fluoride is built into the enamel as the teeth form. Children who from birth drink water containing fluoride have up to 50 percent fewer cavities. Many of them remain cavity free through their teens.

Before you give your child any vitamin or supplement that contains fluoride, check it with your dentist to see if one is needed. Based on your dentist's assessment of your family's oral health, the use of additional fluoride-containing products may or may not be recommended.

The Benefits of Good Oral Hygiene Care:

• Children with healthy mouths chew more easily and gain nutrients from foods they eat.
• They learn to speak more quickly and clearly.
• They have a better chance of general health, because disease in the mouth can endanger the rest of the body.
• A healthy mouth is more attractive, giving children more confidence in their appearance
• Finally, preventive dentistry means less extensive and less expensive, treatment for your child.

Life Stages: Adulthood

Did you know that good oral hygiene is also a step toward a healthier life?

Given that recent research suggests potential links between bacteria that cause periodontal (gum) disease and systemic disease, prevention of periodontal disease is an important step in maintaining overall health.

With proper dental care, it is possible to reach adulthood without experiencing tooth decay. Brushing and flossing daily, eating a balanced diet and limiting between-meal snacks, and visiting your dentist regularly for professional cleanings and oral exams are key ingredients to maintain a healthy smile for life.

In addition to checking the teeth, your dentist looks for signs of diseases such as gum disease, tooth decay or oral cancer . The majority of oral cancers occur in people older than 45, regular dental checkups are increasingly important to detect any irregularities in early, more easily treatable stages.

Early Gum Disease Screening

Continuing the care into adult life, we screen every patient to prevent gum disease at an early stage. Where gum disease exists, we give clinical help by means of a dentist or hygienist scaling and polishing your teeth over a number of visits. We will show you the best methods for effective cleaning of your teeth to help you maintain a healthy gum condition for life.

Early Decay Detection & X-rays

Early tooth decay does not tend to show many physical signs. It may or may not cause discomfort. X-rays can help the dentist to detect decay under the enamel, any possible infections in the roots, or any bone loss around the tooth. at an early stage to prevent excessive tooth damage. Small cavities are much easier and less expensive to treat.

Today, many adults are enhancing their smiles with braces, veneers and whitening treatments to keep their smiles young and healthy looking. Talk to us about these options.