Here at Thorpe Bay Dental, we offer a two-pronged approach to helping our patients: preventive care and a wide range of treatment options to help resolve any issues. This is a guide from our dentist in Thorpe Bay on why it is so important to protect oral health, and how best to do so.
What is preventive care?
As a dentist in Thorpe Bay, much of our focus is on preventive care. This refers to taking such care with the maintenance of healthy teeth and gums that very little in the way of treatment or restoration of any kind is needed. Preventive care should ideally start in early childhood, but it is never too late to start safeguarding one’s oral health.
Why is it important to protect oral health?
Protecting one’s oral health has a range of benefits. If the teeth and gums are kept in good condition, then our dentist in Thorpe Bay only needs to offer check-ups to ensure that all is well. This means that the patient is less likely to need to get treatment for issues such as cavities, gum disease and tooth loss. The result of this is that they make savings in terms of both time and financial resources.
If a person has good oral health, then they are much more likely to experience good general health. This is because issues such as gum disease can have an impact on the body as a whole. Gum disease that is not treated and allowed to progress due to poor oral hygiene and a lack of care can increase the risk of contracting a range of health conditions related to other parts of the body. For example, heart and lung disease, dementia and arthritis are all much more likely to happen to people who have gum disease.
Get checked out
Visiting us for regular check-ups is one of the easiest ways to look after the teeth and gums and keep them in good condition. We can detect issues before they become problematic and give advice on good oral care at home. This includes what tools and products to use, as well as the best techniques for brushing and flossing.
Routine at home
People who want to protect their oral health should establish a regular routine when it comes to brushing and flossing. The teeth should be brushed twice per day for two minutes at a time, using a toothpaste that contains fluoride. Flossing should be done once, ideally before bed as this is when leftover food debris and plaque can fester and cause deterioration of the teeth and gums.
Get misalignment corrected
Any patient who has teeth that are misaligned should consider getting this resolved. If the teeth are crooked or overcrowded, then they will be much harder to keep clean. Plaque may develop in between teeth that are not straight and cause issues such as gum disease. Today, there are a whole host of options for straightening the teeth. This includes traditional braces, Incognito braces, Invisalign and more. Whatever the alignment issue, there is a solution that will help to make a smile look great and to protect the oral health of the patient.