Preventative care is one of the most important components of your oral health. It takes place both at your dentist’s office and at home on your own time. Sudbury Dental Arts, a dentist in Sudbury, MA, highlights the components that make up preventative care and why they’re so important.
Regular Dental Visits
Visiting the dentist regularly is essential to making sure your mouth is as healthy as possible. First, dental cleanings should be scheduled every six months. You may not think it’s necessary for professional cleaning when you brush your teeth at home. But special tools are used at the office to get into areas that are hard to reach with regular toothbrushes.
Using a mirror and other tools, the small nooks and crannies of your teeth will be freed of plaque and tartar. You may be surprised at the amount that builds up! This is helpful for keeping you free of gum disease and tooth decay. We’ll also polish your teeth with another specific tool. There’s nothing like the just-cleaned feeling after your dental appointment.
But visiting the dentist isn’t just for cleanings. A thorough oral exam is also done at our office. For things like oral cancer, it can be hard to notice early symptoms on your own. Usually, they manifest as red or white patches in the mouth that can often be mistaken for ulcers. Our dentists are trained in the symptoms of oral cancer and can recognize it earlier than you might.
When you’re visiting the dentist regularly, we can also determine if things have changed since your previous visits. This may include symptoms of tooth decay or gum disease, wear and tear on teeth, or them being crooked and needing Invisalign treatment. It’s particularly beneficial for children, as early intervention with orthodontics or other problems allows you to avoid more extensive procedures down the road.
Oral Health at Home
Dental visits aren’t your only defense against oral health problems. You have to have good habits at home, too. This means brushing and flossing at least twice a day, every day. Without brushing and flossing, food particles and sugars can build up on and between your teeth. This leads to problems with tooth decay and gum disease the longer this happens.
Your diet may play a bigger role in preventative care than you know. A diet that’s high in sugary and acidic foods is going to wreak havoc on your teeth. Sugars are the main contributor to tooth decay and acids help to wear away your tooth enamel. If you’re eating a large number of foods that have either of these features, you’re likely to have dental problems in the future.
Diet can also be beneficial to your teeth as well. A balanced diet is important for overall wellness, but for your oral health as well. Fresh fruits and vegetables, especially fibrous ones, require a lot of chewing. This helps to dislodge food particles and increase saliva production to wash them away. Drinking water helps in the same ways. You should always try to wash out your mouth with water after consuming things high in acid or sugar.
Preventative Care at Your Sudbury, Massachusetts Dentist
Make sure there’s nothing to be concerned about with your oral health. Call us or schedule an appointment online.
