Preventative Dentistry
Preventative dentistry is our focus. While a high importance is placed on good oral hygiene, we also offer services to aid in your oral health. We understand maintaining oral health is a lifelong goal, as part of your regular check up we will be checking your teeth and oral tissues tissue for health. Because we know preventing tooth decay and periodontal disease is important for your overall health.
| What is Plaque? Plaque is a sticky, colorless film of bacteria and sugars that constantly forms on our teeth. It is the main cause of cavities and gum disease, and can harden into tartar if not removed daily.How Do I Know if I Have Plaque? Everyone develops plaque because bacteria are constantly forming in our mouths. These bacteria use ingredients found in our diet and saliva to grow. Plaque causes cavities when the acids from plaque attack teeth after eating. With repeated acid attacks, the tooth enamel can break down and a cavity may form. Plaque that is not removed can also irritate the gums around your teeth, leading to gingivitis (red, swollen, bleeding gums), periodontal disease and tooth loss.How Can I Prevent Plaque Buildup? It’s easy to prevent plaque buildup with proper care. Make sure to:
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Step One: Floss
Use floss to remove germs and food particles between teeth. Rinse.
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| Holding floss. | Using floss between upper teeth. | Using floss between lower teeth. |
| NOTE! Ease the floss into place gently. Do not snap it into place — this could harm your gums.Step Two: Brush Teeth Use any tooth brushing method that is comfortable, but do not scrub hard back and forth. Small circular motions and short back and forth motions work well. Rinse.To prevent decay, it’s what’s on the toothbrush that counts. Use fluoride toothpaste. Fluoride is what protects teeth from decay.Brush the tongue for a fresh feeling! Rinse again. Remember: food residues, especially sweets, provide nutrients for the germs that cause tooth decay, as well as those that cause gum disease. That’s why it is important to remove all food residues, as well as plaque, from teeth. Remove plaque at least once a day — twice a day is better. If you brush and floss once daily, do it before going to bed. |
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Fluoride Treatments and Supplements
What Is It?
Fluoride is a naturally occurring element that can help to prevent tooth decay by strengthening teeth. Experts say the best way to prevent tooth decay is to use several sources of fluoride.
Fluoride is found naturally in water sources in small but traceable amounts, and in certain foods such as meat, fish, eggs and tea. Fluoride also is added to water in some areas and to toothpastes, rinses and professional treatments. Prescription fluoride tablets are available for children who do not drink fluoridated water.
What It’s Used For
Enamel, the outer layer of the crown of a tooth (the visible part), is made of closely packed mineral crystals. Every day, minerals are lost and gained from inside the enamel crystals through processes called demineralization and remineralization. Demineralization occurs when acids, formed from the combination of plaque bacteria and sugar in your mouth, dissolve the crystals and the spaces between them. But this process is balanced by remineralization, in which minerals such as fluoride, calcium and phosphate are deposited inside the enamel, building it back up. Too much demineralization without enough remineralization to repair the enamel leads to tooth decay.
Fluoride strengthens teeth by helping to speed remineralization and disrupt the production of acids by bacteria. Fluoride can be incorporated into teeth in two ways. When children swallow fluoride in small doses (through food, supplements or fluoridated water), it enters the bloodstream and becomes incorporated in their developing permanent teeth, making it harder for acids to cause demineralization. Fluoride also can enter teeth directly in the mouth when it is applied at the dental office, when you brush with fluoride toothpaste or use a fluoride rinse and when fluoridated water washes over your teeth as you drink.
Fluoride treatments commonly are given to children as their teeth are developing. If your child has a history of cavities or is at high risk of decay, he or she should use additional fluoride to promote remineralization. Often, children get fluoride treatments every six months for extra protection against cavities, even if they already drink fluoridated water.
If your child has a history of cavities or is at high risk of decay, he or she should use additional fluoride, such as fluoride mouth rinses, to promote remineralization. These rinses, recommended for children over the age of 6, are found in the mouthwash section of most stores. Prescription fluoride rinses and gels that provide a higher level of fluoride also are available. Fluoride supplements generally are reserved for children between the ages of 6 months and 16 years who don’t drink fluoridated water. These are available as liquids for younger children and tablets for older children and can be prescribed by either your pediatrician or dentist.
Fluoride treatments help all teeth and help to prevent decay in both children and adults. Anyone who is at risk of dental decay is a good candidate for fluoride treatments. Factors that increase the risk of tooth decay include a history of cavities, infrequent dental visits, poor brushing habits and dietary factors, especially frequent snacking. Many common medications such as antihistamines and medications for high blood pressure, anxiety or depression can cause the mouth to be dry. Without enough saliva, tooth decay progresses quickly.
Dental Sealants
| What are dental sealants? Dental sealants are plastic coatings that are usually placed on the chewing (occlusal) surface of the permanent back teeth — the molars and premolars — to help protect them from decay.Why are dental sealants placed on teeth? The chewing surfaces of the molar and premolar teeth have grooves — “fissures” — that make them vulnerable to decay. These fissures can be deep, are difficult to clean, and can be narrower than even a single bristle of a toothbrush. Plaque accumulates in these areas, and the acid from bacteria in the plaque attacks the enamel and cavities can develop. Fluoride helps prevent decay and helps protect all the surfaces of the teeth, dental sealants provide extra protection for the grooved and pitted areas by providing a smooth surface covering over the fissured area. When are dental sealants placed? The first dental sealant to be placed is usually on the fissure of the first permanent molar tooth, once the chewing surface of the tooth has erupted completely beyond the gum. This tooth grows in behind the baby teeth. If the chewing (occlusal) surfaces of these teeth are sealed, the dental sealant will help protect the tooth. Except for the wisdom teeth, which come through much later, the molars and premolars continue to erupt until eleven-thirteen years of age and the chewing surfaces of these teeth can be sealed after they have erupted beyond the gum.
Are dental sealants only placed on the chewing surface of molar and premolar permanent teeth? |
