Preventive dentistry is all about taking good care of your teeth. Through good dental care with habits such as brushing your teeth and flossing, you can maintain positive oral health. Apart from just maintaining your teeth, preventive dentistry impacts your general health too! It is important to cultivate good teeth care habits right from childhood and continue to do so throughout your life.
The Common Ways to Practice Good Preventive Habits are:
- Getting check-ups every six months.
- Teeth cleaning services
- Get X-rays routinely according to your dentist’s recommendations.
How to Practice Effective Dental Hygiene?
It is essentially your responsibility to ensure that your teeth and gums are well taken care of so that you do not develop cavities, gingivitis, and other similar issues. We recommend that you follow these dental hygiene habits to keep your teeth and gums in the best condition:
- Brush your teeth twice a day every day; morning when you wake up and at night before bedtime. For this, we recommend using a soft toothbrush and any fluoridated toothpaste.
- Floss your teeth daily to remove any food that may be stuck between your teeth.
- Once you finish flossing, gargle your mouth with mouthwash.
- Acidic foods can severely damage your teeth’ enamel over time. It is best to avoid them.
- Be careful when eating snacks such as candy., as it may lead to the tooth getting chipped.
- Avoid any products with tobacco in them as not only it can lead to tooth decay, but also much more severe diseases such as cancer.
Which Dentists Can Assist You With Preventive Dentistry?
Whilst there are many types of dentists that assist you with many types of dental problems, these two types of dentists can provide you with preventive dental care. They are:
- Your family dentist: Family dentists are usually general dentists who you would normally visit for regular checkups, teeth cleaning, and other basic treatments such as providing teeth filling, etc.If your teeth have any issues that need to be tended to, general dentists can nip them in the bud and fix it. However, if you require further specialized treatment, these dentists can refer you to dentists with those specializations.
- Pediatricians (dentists for children): These dentists specialise in preventive dental care only for children. They begin seeing children right from the time they have their first tooth until they are teenagers. Children’s teeth are in the developing stage where they require more care than an adult’s teeth. So, they provide dental care and, if necessary, treatments such as oral surgery, tooth extractions, and fillings.
Benefits of Preventive Dentistry
Preventive dentistry offers the following benefits:
It Protects Your Teeth From Cavities
One of the most important advantages of preventative dentistry is that frequent dental appointments can help you in avoiding tooth cavities. No matter how well you brush your teeth, it is impossible to reach the farthest corners of them. Professional cleaning of your teeth will remove plaque and tartar that get accumulated over time.
Good Oral Health Gets Rid of Bad Breath
Not only can bad breath smell unpleasant, but it can also be a warning sign of upcoming health conditions. If you notice that you have bad breath, visiting a dentist immediately for dental cleaning, etc., can help in rectifying it immediately.
It Reduces Gum Diseases
When plaque and tartar accumulate on your teeth and gums, you increase your chance of developing gum illnesses such as gingivitis (gum inflammation) and periodontitis (a severe type of inflammation that may destroy the jawbones). The earlier your dentist detects symptoms of gum disease, the more they can do to relieve inflammation and maintain your gums as healthy as possible.
It Can Potentially Help You Avoid Health Problems
It might come as a surprise, but many serious health problems usually show their first signs in the mouth. This is because your mouth is the main source of entry for the bacteria. If you have poor oral health, it will become easier for the bacteria to enter your system. Some diseases usually caused by poor dental hygiene include:
- Cancer
- Heart disease
- Diabetes
- Respiratory disease
It Can Improve Your Smile
With good dental health, comes a good smile. When you get your teeth cleaned and maintain them regularly, it will improve your smile and prevent your teeth from getting discoloured. However, investing in teeth whitening treatments is optional and not necessary. A thorough cleaning usually does the job.
Conclusion
Preventive dentistry is very important for our teeth to avoid bad teeth and health complications. We are always available all days of the week in Harrow. If you would like to book an appointment, feel free to contact us anytime!
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