What is Preventive Dental Care and Why is It Important?
Preventative dental care is dental care that helps maintain good oral health. It is a combination of taking care of both your teeth and the soft and hard tissues of the mouth. Preventative dental care involves regular check-ups, maintaining a good dental care regimen at home, and professional preventive dental services like dental cleaning and fluoride treatments to completely avoid a variety of oral health issues including cavities, enamel erosion, and periodontal disease.
Everyone from children to senior citizens must consider preventive dentistry to preserve the health of their natural teeth as they advance in age.
Ways to Practice Preventive Dental Care:
- Dental Exams and Cleaning:
During a dental exam, your dentist will look for signs of enamel erosion, build-up of plaque or tartar, and pockets formed in between teeth where gums and bacteria may reside. These can be indications of periodontitis, mouth cancer, or throat cancer. If your dentist notices plaque or tartar, he/she will remove it by using special dental tools.
- Fluoride Treatments and Dental Sealants:
During a professional fluoride treatment, a high concentration of fluoride (in the form of a gel, varnish, or foam) will be applied directly to your teeth. The fluoride will harden on the tooth’s surface and help cover the grooves and cracks on your teeth, thereby preventing their decay.
- At-home Preventive Dental Care Tips:
Brush your teeth daily with a soft-bristle toothbrush and a fluoride toothpaste in small, gentle circular motions for about 2 minutes after you wake up and before going to bed.
- Floss your teeth at least once daily to get rid of food particles trapped in places where a toothbrush can’t reach them.
- Use fluorine-based mouthwashes after meals.
- Have a balanced healthy diet and limit the intake of sugary or acidic foods and drinks.
- Wear mouth guards to protect your mouth from any injuries while playing sports.
Why is Preventive Dental Care Important?
The importance of preventive dental care includes:
Early Detection of Your Dental Concerns
To avoid dental issues such as tooth decay, periodontal disease and oral cancer, it is best to schedule professional dental assessments as least twice a year. During your routine dental check-up, your dentist will take dental X-rays and closely examine the condition of your teeth and gums for any plaque or tartar build-up. If any decay is spotted, the dentist can initiate treatment well in time before it causes more harm and leads to tooth loss.
Avoid Tooth Decay or Cavities
To avoid tooth decay or cavities, it is important to schedule professional teeth cleanings with your dentist. During these cleanings, your dental will remove any dental plaque, tartar or calculus that may be present in between the teeth or along the gum line. Although brushing and flossing can help remove plaque or tartar, deep cleanings are necessary as you might miss the areas and welcome decay, cavities, gum infections or disease, and eventually tooth loss.
Helps Strengthen Your Teeth
Dentists always recommend the daily use of fluoride-based toothpaste or mouthwashes. Fluoride is a mineral that promotes the reabsorption of calcium and phosphate which makes the teeth enamel. The mineral helps strengthen the teeth by shielding them against mild acid attacks from ingested food and also reverses mild dental cavities. For adults who are prone to cavities, in-office fluoride treatments are available to keep the teeth strong and healthy.
Saves Your Money
Without proper maintenance of oral health, tooth decay and gum infections may worsen over time. As a result, there will be a need for costly dental treatments to get rid of severe dental issues. If tooth decay is severe, root canals may help save the teeth. As a last resort, your dentist may recommend tooth extraction, which then further creates the need for cosmetic and restorative dental services such as dental implants. These treatments would cost more money. To avoid having multiple dental treatments done and to cut down on your expenses, it is important to prevent dental concerns by having regular dental check ups and in chair dental cleanings.
Improves Your Oral Health and General Well-Being
During routine dental check-ups, the dental experts at First Point Dental will be able to spot hidden oral health issues like chips and cracks in teeth and tooth decay. Your dentist will even be able to fix your dental filling, thereby maintaining your healthy aesthetic smile. With the prevention of tooth decay or cavities, there will be fewer chances of you having periodontal disease.
If you have periodontal disease, you are likely to have a greater risk of heart disease, diabetes, lower resistance of the body to infections, brain disorders, and other overall health issues. However, regular professional care and maintaining good oral hygiene ensure overall wellness. Thus, preventive dentistry helps enhance the quality of life.
Book your consultation now at First Point Dental and gain the benefits of the best preventative dental treatments in Chicago!