Five Essential Preventive Dentistry Practices
Preventive dentistry is the habit of caring for your teeth to keep them in optimal shape. The routine helps avoid cavities, gum disease, enamel wear, et cetera. Many forms of preventive dentistry are available, which include daily brushing and getting dental cleanings for your kids from the pediatric dental office in Martinsville. The American Dental Association recommends visiting dentists at intervals recommended by them to maintain optimal oral health. The habits are tailored to ensure children’s teeth are clean, robust, and white. In addition, children must receive education about proper oral hygiene from an early age.
If you wish to learn more about the five essential preventive dentistry habits to adopt to keep your teeth healthy, please continue reading for more details.
1. Brushing Every Day
An essential preventive dentistry habit is to brush your teeth every day with fluoride toothpaste two times for two minutes each. Replacing toothbrushes three to four times every year or even the bristles start fraying is a requirement that must be adhered to. Brushing the tongue is also a requirement because it helps remove bacteria from the mouth to freshen breath.
2. Flossing Every Day without Exceptions
Preventive dentistry in Martinsville VA, recommends flossing every day without exceptions regardless of when children do it. Whether children floss in the morning or evening, before or after lunch or dinner, it doesn’t matter so long as they use dental floss to clean the tight spaces between their teeth. Children with braces are recommended floss threaders to get between the metal brackets. Children must receive instructions on how to floss correctly to benefit from the tool.
3. Six Monthly Dental Visits
Children must receive six-monthly dental exams and cleanings from Dr. Brown, who checks for problems with their teeth and gums. Children at high risk of dental issues benefit more from frequent visits. However, children not at risk may see similar benefits from visiting dentists for one cleaning every year. Dental exams and cleanings enable dentists to identify problems in children’s sports and care for them right away before they aggravate. Parents with dental insurance shouldn’t worry about children’s dental visits because most insurance providers cover two preventive dental visits every year.
4. Having a Balanced Diet
Having a balanced diet helps protect children’s teeth by providing them with the nutrients they need. Unfortunately, children favor sugary and starchy foods that are prime culprits for creating tooth decay. Therefore children must be limited with their sugar intake and encouraged to have simple carbohydrates like white bread and drink plenty of water throughout the day.
5. Vitamins for Oral Health
Children’s teeth also need vitamins for their oral health. Fortunately, when they have a varied diet, it helps them receive all the vitamins they need to maintain a healthy smile.
What Does Preventive Dentistry Help Achieve?
Preventive dentistry helps children from developing dental problems later. When children are educated about proper dental care, they can avoid or lessen the consequences of cavities, gingivitis, enamel loss, periodontal disease, et cetera. Most importantly, preventive dentistry helps achieve freedom from the visits to the emergency pediatric dentist near you for unexpected treatments that result from dental issues.
Is Preventive Dentistry Exclusively for Children?
No, it isn’t. Preventive dentistry benefits everyone, but children benefit the most because it allows the newly erupting permanent teeth to emerge robust and healthy. They receive help from their pediatric dentist providing topical fluoride treatments and dental sealants to prevent tooth decay in their teeth. Adults also profit from preventative dentistry because it permits them to retain their natural teeth.
Oral health is associated with your overall health because the mouth is a breeding ground for harmful bacteria that spreads to your body if you maintain improper oral hygiene. Therefore, keeping your mouth in optimal condition benefits your overall health.
Excellent dental hygiene dramatically reduces the risk of cavities, gingivitis, and other dental problems. As a result, your preventive dentistry habits reduce the risk of secondary issues developing from poor oral health. If you aren’t aware, some health problems associated with poor oral hygiene include diabetes, heart disease, osteoporosis, respiratory disease, and cancer.
Besides reducing the risks of other health issues, the habits of preventive dentistry also help save money. Of course, preventive dentistry doesn’t eliminate the need for dental fillings and root canals. However, it undoubtedly reduces needing these expensive treatments to prove a money multiplier.
If you want your children to benefit from the five essential preventive dentistry practices, please schedule an appointment with Kids First Dental — Martinsville to receive the vital treatments.