5 Key Steps in Preventive Dentistry
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Our goal at Hardy Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics is to keep your mouth healthy and your smile bright with preventive dentistry. The biggest part of achieving and maintaining healthy teeth involves your commitment to healthy practices and proper oral hygiene. To help you achieve and maintain these advised oral health standards, we believe in educating you on the principles, techniques, tools, and regular maintenance needs to keep your smile and mouth health at their best. Your home efforts, coupled with our in-office efforts at our Erie office, can help you avoid the negative effects of cavities, gum disease, enamel wear and more. Developing these positive, preventive dentistry healthy teeth habits starts an early age which is why the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends that a child’s first dental visit should occur within six months after their first tooth erupts and no later than a child’s first birthday.
Preventive Dentistry Key Steps
Staying healthy requires you do everything you can to prevent conditions from happening that are within your control. So many things in life are out of our control, but preventive care is up to you. The following five steps are needed for safeguarding your oral health:
- Don’t Eat Mindlessly
- Opt for Dental Sealants
- Schedule Your Fluoride Treatments
- Brush and Floss Regularly
- Commit to Deep Cleanings / Regular Exams
Don’t Eat Mindlessly
Be purposeful with your food choices. What you choose to put in your body will greatly impact how your body performs and fights bacteria that tries to invade it. Eating patterns and food choices play an important role in preventing, or promoting, tooth decay. Heavy sugar consumption has long been linked with tooth decay. According to the American Heart Association (AHA), men should not have more than 38 grams of added sugar (sugars that don’t naturally occur; sugars in fruit and milk are NOT considered added sugars) per day and women and children should not have more than 25 grams per day. Part of Hardy Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics’ comprehensive oral health education plan also includes the vital role of nutrition. Along with watching your sugar intake, take your vitamins. Teeth need the vital nutrients vitamins supply to stay healthy and strong. Strive to vary your diet so your body receives all the vitamins it needs.
Dental Sealants
Dental sealants guard the narrow grooves of your teeth from plaque accumulation. Tooth structure has fine grooves or pits that can entrap food particles and not easily removed by your toothbrush bristles, floss or mouthwash. To avoid developing cavities from these grooves and pits, Dr. Hardy can brush on a protective coating that seals them, keeping plaque out and health in. This easy treatment can save you from the costs and negative effects of tooth decay. Preventive dentistry protocol urges parents to choose to seal their children’s teeth as part of their healthy teeth plan.
Schedule Fluoride Treatments
More than 65 percent of children age 18 and under do not receive the recommended two fluoride treatments a year. Why is fluoride necessary? Fluoride strengthens teeth and making them more resistant to decay (cavities). Drinking fluoridated water and brushing at least twice daily with fluoride-fortified toothpaste helps supply a daily dose of fluoride for teeth. For many children, this daily fluoride exposure is enough to protect them for a lifetime. However, during your 6-month dental exam you will also receive a fluoride treatment to safeguard teeth.
Brush and Floss Regularly
You have heard it time and time again, but really, this simple step is key in keeping your teeth healthy. Brushing your teeth daily with fluoride-fortified toothpaste that has been approved by the American Dental Association (ADA) is critical. And make sure you brush your tongue too. This process removes bacteria from your mouth and freshens your breath. Proper flossing is an essential habit because your toothbrush can’t reach the sides of your teeth. Floss reaches where tooth bristles can’t. At your next dental appointment, ask a Hardy Pediatric Dentistry team member to instruct you on proper flossing steps so you can get the care you need.
Commit to Deep Cleanings and Regular Exams at Least Twice a Year
Dental cleanings and exams allow our team to find oral problems and stop in them while they are small. Seeing your dentist regularly helps you avoid more serious oral health problems and more extensive (and expensive) treatment. Dentists use additional tools that patients don’t have at home that can help remove more plaque and treat the enamel of your teeth more thoroughly. Regular exams also allow your dentist to conduct an oral cancer screening to make sure your mouth is free from anything life-threatening.
The Power of Preventive Dentistry
Our goal at Hardy Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics is keep your mouth healthy and your smile bright. We educate you on the principles, techniques, tools, and regular maintenance needed for great oral health. Your home efforts–coupled with our in-office efforts at our Erie office–will help you prevent the negative effects of cavities, gum disease, enamel wear and more. Develop positive, preventive dentistry habits early! The American Dental Association (ADA) and the American American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry both recommend that a child’s first dental visit occur within six months after their first tooth erupts and no later than a child’s first birthday. Starting them early on a path of excellent oral wellness is a critical part of development.
Why Choose to Take Preventive Action?
The American Dental Association feels that millions of Americans are living in what can only be described as a dental health crisis. Why? Studies show that nearly half of adults over age 30 suffer from some form of gum disease. Nearly one in four children under age five already has cavities. The number of emergency department visits in the U.S. for dental conditions increased from 1.1 million in 2000 to 2.1 million in 2010. The two most prevalent conditions are tooth decay and gum disease–both of which can be prevented through proper oral hygiene practices. Commit today to a healthier mouth!
Call for a Preventive Dentistry Consultation
Hardy Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics, located in Erie, CO, is a general and family dentistry practice. We are passionate about helping you and your children achieve and maintain optimal oral health and a beautiful smile! We focus on prevention, tooth preservation, and awareness and make every effort to treat our patients the way we treat members of our own family. We offer comprehensive care for your dental needs in a relaxed and efficient atmosphere. We look forward to meeting you and your family! Call us today at (303) 223-0403 to make an appointment.