Many of us have a bittersweet relationship with our dentists. While most of us understand the importance of good oral health to our lives, not many of us go to see the dentist as much as we’d like to.
The truth is, if you fail to take good care of your teeth, you might find yourself spending a fortune in restorative dental services. However, you can avoid such exorbitant dental services by safeguarding your oral health through preventative dentistry. Preventative dentistry, otherwise known as dental prophylaxis, is a set of procedures to prevent tooth decay and periodontal disease. Simply put, it involves the daily practice of oral hygiene practices such as brushing and flossing and regular visits to the dentist.
There is a wide variety of different types of preventative dentistry revolving around good oral hygiene. However, good dental health goes much further than that. It can also have a significant impact on your general health and well-being. As such, you must maintain a healthy mouth by preventing dental problems before they get out of hand.
Read on to find out more about preventative dentistry strategies, when you should get started, and what you stand to gain from it.
What Are Some Examples of Preventative Dentistry Strategies?
Maintaining Good Oral Hygiene
The first and perhaps the most obvious preventative dentistry strategy is to practice good oral hygiene from home. Make sure you floss at least once daily and brush your teeth twice or thrice a day.
Brush your teeth using a soft-bristled toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste. If possible, rinse your mouth with an ADA-approved mouthwash after. However, try not to overdo the brushing (two minutes maximum) and limit your snack intake throughout the day.
Avoid Smoking
You don’t need a health expert to tell you that smoking is bad for you. Many negative health effects come with smoking, such as cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. But that’s not all. Smoking can also affect your dental health through gum disease, tooth discoloration, and plaque buildup. Say no to smoking if you want to avoid putting your oral health at risk.
Watch Your Diet
It should go without saying that what you eat will have a big impact on your dental health. Foods high in starch and sugars can lead to plaque and decay development. A diet lacking in calcium can also increase the probability of gum disease.
Ensure you eat a healthy, balanced diet and brush your teeth after every meal to remove foods lodged between your gums and teeth.
Visit Your Dentist Regularly
Even if you brush and floss your teeth and your teeth look good with no pain or discomfort, you should still bother to visit your dentist. Practicing good hygiene doesn’t guarantee that you’ll be safe from oral health issues. Even good oral hygiene practices can have detrimental dental health effects if left unchecked.
For instance, over-brushing your teeth can eat away at your gum tissue, causing gum recession in the long run. Dental services can help identify such complications and mitigate them in good time before they become worse.
The Benefits of Preventative Dentistry
The best offense is a good defense. That’s why preventative care is crucial to maintaining healthy smiles. Observing good oral health practices means you can limit your chances of suffering the many painful and often costly issues that will most likely arise otherwise.
But when it comes to the advantages of preventative dentistry, that’s just barely scratching the surface, or enamel, in this case. Here’s a list of benefits you should expect from preventive dentistry.
Avoid Dental Issues
Preventative dentistry makes it very likely that you will develop dental problems in the future. It takes a short time for you to clean your teeth, but it can save you a world of pain in toothache and other undesirable oral problems.
Identify Problems in Advance
Preventative dentistry might help ward off potential dental problems, but it is never a guarantee. Even dentists, too, suffer from cavities and tooth discomfort now and then. However, preventative dentistry can help you identify such problems so you can root them out (so to speak). The earlier, the better, right?
Save Your Money
Dentist visits aren’t always cheap, but they are a small investment when you consider what you could be dealing with further down the line. The money you’ll spend on regular checkups is a bargain compared to the cost of serious dental procedures that you might be compelled to take if you do not regularly see your dentist in Tarpon Springs.
When Is the Right Time to Start Preventive Dentistry
The right time to start preventative dentistry is right now. Even if your teeth feel healthy right now, that is certainly no reason for thinking you don’t need to practice preventive dentistry. If you choose to neglect your teeth, you’re going to experience problems with your gums and teeth later on, and as highlighted earlier, tooth removals and implants can be an inconvenience to both your time and money.
As you grow older, it becomes even more important for you to observe good dental hygiene because tooth enamel tends to wear out the more you advance in age.
If you have children, you need to be particularly attentive to their oral hygiene even before your baby’s teeth emerge. Simple things such as cleaning your baby’s mouth to remove traces of milk are good preventative practices.
As their teeth fall out and their permanent teeth start to come out, regular visits to the dentist in Tarpon Springs can provide insight into if your baby’s teeth are growing normally. Crooked teeth are best sorted out at a young age. The dentist can also check for possible bacterial infection or gum inflammation.
Prevention Is Always Better Than Cure
If you haven’t been practicing preventive dentistry, then you should begin immediately. Having good oral health depends on you observing good preventative dental care practices.
If you’re unsure how or where, to begin with, preventive dentistry, then give us a call at 727-937-4285 to book an appointment. We’re open Mondays through Fridays! Alternatively, you can also send us an email with any questions or concerns at FrontOffice@TarponDental.com. We’ll be glad to hear from you!
