Enjoying a Lifetime of Healthy Smiles with Preventive Dentistry

Your teeth and gums are more than just a pretty smile. They're essential parts of your overall health and well-being. At the office of Riverdale Dental Arts, we believe that prevention is the key to maintaining optimal oral health. By taking proactive steps, you can avoid gum disease, cavities, and other issues that can impact your teeth and gums. In this article, we'll explore some essential preventive dentistry practices and how they can help you enjoy a lifetime of healthy smiles.

Establishing Good Oral Health Habits at Home

Brushing and flossing daily are important steps in maintaining good oral health. But there's more to it than just that! A comprehensive preventative dentistry routine should include:

• Effective brushing with an ADA-approved fluoride toothpaste for two minutes twice a day.
• A balanced diet, avoiding foods and drinks high in sugars or very acidic. Limit sticky sweets and brush afterward. Choose water over sodas and sports drinks.
• Avoiding harmful oral habits like nail biting, chewing on pencils or ice, lip or tongue piercings, and smoking or using tobacco products. If your child has a habit of finger or thumb sucking, encourage them to break it at home or seek dental advice before their permanent teeth come in.
• Regular checkups, professional cleanings, and routine care as recommended by the American Dental Association.

Protecting Your Smile with Regular Checkups and Cleanings

Our top priority is helping you and your family enjoy the benefits of good oral health. You can count on us to provide the guidance, resources, and care needed to establish a strong foundation for a lifetime of healthy smiles. During regular checkup visits, we'll carefully assess each smile, checking for signs of dental disease and other issues that can impact overall well-being. After reviewing your medical and dental history, we'll perform an extra and intra-oral exam. We'll screen for oral cancer and other suspicious lesions, check occlusion, TMJ function, and more. We may recommend diagnostic films as needed to detect cavities, periodontal disease, and other oral pathology.

A professional dental cleaning is an excellent opportunity to remove any accumulated plaque and tartar your toothbrush has not reached. Since dental plaque and tartar harbor bacteria that cause dental disease, a professional cleaning helps protect your smile from the damage associated with cavities and gum disease. We'll also use this time to provide instruction in the best methods of brushing and flossing and offer nutritional guidance needed to support a healthy smile. Children can be especially vulnerable to cavities, and we may use these visits to provide periodic fluoride treatments and dental sealants to offer additional protection against tooth decay.

At the office of Riverdale Dental Arts, we believe that prevention is the key to enjoying a lifetime of healthy smiles. Call today for more information on our practice and the many services we provide.