The best way to keep your smile bright and teeth strong is to prevent problems from arising in the first place. At Smith Dental Team, we will help you take the lead on maintaining great oral health and keeping your smile by providing preventive treatments.
Most people need a general cleaning, also known as a prophylaxis, twice a year. There are many nooks and crannies in our mouth that food particles can stick to. If they stay there they become a hard tartar substance called calculus. Calculus looks a lot like coral reef. Just like coral reef, it provides a great area for bacteria to live and multiply. A dental cleaning is called a prophylaxis because it safely and comfortably removes the substance that is providing home for bad bacteria.
Brushing and cleaning in between the teeth regularly (twice a day) and having a dental prophylaxis (cleaning) every 6 months can help to maintain a healthy mouth. If bad bacteria and other pathogens start to establish themselves permanently in our mouths, we can develop periodontal disease that requires gum infection therapy to manage. Our mission at Smith Dental Team is to prevent our patients from needing gum infection therapy however, we can help manage and treat periodontal disease if needed.
Check out our recommended periodontal health products from out dental hygienists and dentists.
Have you ever had a cavity in your life? Would you like to avoid having cavity bacteria in your teeth? If yes, then fluoride treatments are great options for you. They provide needed minerals to help strengthen the tooth’s protective layer (enamel). Patients with a history of cavities and shrinking gums greatly benefit from fluoride treatments.
Do you have receding or shrinking gums? Fluoride treatments are also a great way to protect our roots. If you have receding gums, which can be from lots of things such as gum disease, clenching, or grinding, it’s important that we proactively protect your roots. The root surface is more than ten times softer than the enamel. Fluoride treatments done right on your root surfaces will strengthen them, which also can alleviate cold sensitivity.
Fluoride treatments are safe and effective at healing our teeth, but not everyone needs fluoride. If you are low cavity risk, have a low cavity diet, no gum recession, and great oral hygiene, you will likely not need them.
The best time to have fluoride treatments is right after your dental prophylaxis (cleaning). The teeth have been cleaned and fluoride can stay on the tooth and release medicine into the tooth for months. There are also alternative options to fluoride treatments, and if you’re interested, please ask one of our clinical team members at your next visit.
Sealants are a great proactive treatment. We place tooth colored filling material in the grooves of your teeth to help prevent cavities. Did you know that most biting surface grooves of the teeth are narrower than a single toothbrush bristle? Even brushing with an electric toothbrush will leave food and bacteria in the grooves. Groove cavities are the most common cavities and can develop over decades. Sealants are great for all ages and especially for patients who don’t want to end up needing a filling because of a biting surface cavity. Plus, they are way cheaper than a filling and don’t require any numbness!
Think of your teeth like a car’s tires. The better our teeth are aligned, the longer they will last. One of the best preventative procedures we can do is align your teeth optimally with their neighbors so you can chew evenly and comfortably. Proper teeth alignment protects the teeth, muscles and jaw joints. Misaligned and shifting of teeth usually goes unnoticed until a tooth breaks or becomes painful. It is more common now than ever before for people to keep their teeth all of their lives, which is great news! That is why we are seeing so many adults utilizing clear aligners or braces.
If there are slight nuances with your smile that you may not be happy with, Smith Dental Team can use clear aligners to help.
We regularly provide oral cancer examinations and recognize this is an important exam. The healthcare community has been seeing an increase in oral cancer cases and the earlier we detect it, the better chance we have to treat it. We know that both tobacco and moderate alcohol use is associated with higher oral cancer risk. If you find anything that doesn’t look right on the tongue, lips, cheeks, or other areas of the mouth, and it lasts longer than two weeks, let us know and we will help. Our clinical team also does these examinations on you regularly during your exams.