Why Preventive Dental Treatment Is Essential?
Preventive dentistry is the habit of caring for your teeth to keep them in good condition. It can help to avoid gum disease, cavities, enamel wear, and other problems.
There are various forms of preventive dentistry like brushing daily and dental cleanings. If you want to maintain optimal oral health it has been recommended by the American Dental Association that regular visits to the dentist must be made. The practices are designated to ensure your teeth are clean, strong, and white. The value of proper oral hygiene must also be taught to children at an early age.
Continue reading to learn more about the actions you should take to keep your teeth healthy.
Brush Your Teeth Every Day
Brushing your teeth every day with fluoride toothpaste approved by the ADA is the most important part of preventive dentistry. Everyone should replace the toothbrush 3 to 4 times every year as the bristles begin to fray. The tongue must also be provided attention when brushing to remove the bacteria from the mouth and freshen your breath.
Flossing
It is recommended that you floss every day as well. Flossing can help you to clean out the tight spaces from between the teeth. If you are wearing braces you can use floss threaders to get between the metal brackets. Flossing properly is also important to benefit the most from this exercise. During your next dental appointment, ask your Langley dentist for a flossing demonstration to ensure you are getting the full benefit of using this tool.
Dental Visits
You should be visiting your dentist at least once every year for the exam to look for any problems with your teeth and gums. You may benefit from more visits if you are at a high risk of dental problems. However, you may benefit from just one cleaning every year if you are not at a high risk of dental problems. Dentists can identify and treat problems when they are detected early with dental cleanings. Dental cleanings should not worry you financially because insurance companies cover two preventive dental visits yearly for routine dental cleanings or regular checkups. Dental insurers do not cover fluoride treatments for adults but children can benefit from the coverage. However, they do cover x-rays regardless of whether your dentist takes film-based or digital x-rays of your teeth and gums.
How Does Preventive Dentistry Help?
Preventing people from developing dental problems, later on, is the role of preventive dentistry. Following proper dental hygiene practices you can avoid or lessen the effects of cavities, gingivitis, enamel loss, and periodontitis.
Who Can Benefit from Preventive Dentistry?
The benefits of preventive dentistry are available to all and children in particular benefit the most because it allows their newly developing permanent teeth to erupt strong and healthy. Dental sealants and topical fluoride treatments help to prevent tooth decay in children’s teeth. As an aging adult, you can also benefit from preventive dentistry because it can help to preserve your natural teeth. Oral and overall health are interconnected because the mouth is a breeding ground for harmful bacteria. When you maintain a clean mouth you are providing benefits to your overall health.
The Benefits of Preventive Dentistry Explained
With proper dental hygiene, you are greatly reducing your risks of developing cavities, gingivitis, periodontitis, and other dental issues. It can also reduce your risk of secondary problems caused by poor oral hygiene. Health problems linked to poor oral health include heart disease, osteoporosis, diabetes, respiratory disease, and cancer.
Low birth weight or premature birth also finds a mention as a result of poor oral health. It is suggested that you continue practicing or adopting good preventive oral health measures if you are pregnant including visiting your dentist for routine checkups during pregnancy.
Besides reducing your risk to other health problems, practicing preventive dental health can also be financially beneficial. Even if you have dental insurance the costs of poor oral hygiene can add up significantly. Preventive dentistry may not eliminate your need for fillings, root canals, or dental implants but can certainly reduce your need for these expensive treatments. Therefore you must consider preventive dental treatments as an essential requirement without exceptions.