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Christopher H Joy
D.M.D.
Preventive dentistry is critical in maintaining good oral hygiene. Patients must develop and adhere to several oral hygiene practices to make the best of their dental health.
A vital part of preventive dentistry is to ensure that the patient develops the right technique of brushing their teeth. Brushing the teeth twice a day is crucial to maintaining oral hygiene. Dentists recommend choosing the best toothbrush and toothpaste to ensure that the teeth remain clean and free of bacteria. It is advised to choose a toothbrush with soft bristles that will easily find their way into the narrow corners of the teeth in order to remove dirt if any. A toothpaste composed of fluoride is the best choice of toothpaste from a dentist’s point of view.
Flossing is an essential routine that comes as a part of maintaining dental hygiene. Flossing is a mandatory dental hygiene routine as it helps to remove and fight infections of the gums and teeth. An inflammatory condition of the gums known as Gingivitis has proved to stabilize among patients suffering from it just because they adopted flossing as a part of their dental hygiene routine.
Dental implants are a life savior to patients who want to restore their broken teeth. Just as exciting as it is to get a dental implant, it takes great effort and patience to maintain them by adopting aftercare dental hygiene practices. Implants are easy to insert, but it is vital that we incorporate certain tips to ensure that the results of having an implant on, lasts long. After getting an implant it will be helpful if the patient avoided certain habits such as smoking, drinking beverages with a high content of sugar and caffeine and including good habits such as brushing the teeth twice a day, flossing at least once a week, eating a healthy and nutritious diet. It will be useful to the newly inserted restoration if the patient maintained a soft diet until the gums around the implant get fully healed. This will also help to brush and floss easily allowing to maintain good oral hygiene.
Dental bridges are used to replace a set of missing teeth. It plays a great role in retaining and improving the aesthetics of the teeth. Taking care of bridges are essential. After getting a dental bridge, the patient may experience slight signs of swelling. In order to calm the degree of swelling, it is advised to regularly rinse the mouth with salt water. Rinsing with salt water will decrease the pain and inflamed tissues of the gums. Patients can normally brush and floss the teeth. However, it is advised to be careful while flossing as it may hurt the swollen gums.
An implant-supported bridge is inserted into the gums by using Titanium posts as the implant. It provides the patient with extreme durability and confidence from tooth breakage. As patients get an implant, it will take a few months for the gums to heal. During and after getting an implant-supported implant, it is crucial to take utmost care as any accumulation of bacteria on the delicate portions of the gums that are yet to heal would complicate the procedure. Patients are advised to regularly floss their teeth. It is essential to ensure that the temporary and permanent bridges remain clean. Patients can brush their teeth normally. However, it is advised to apply lesser pressure to the teeth during the first few weeks of brushing.
Cleanings: Oral cleaning is the best way to prevent oral infections and diseases. The accumulated microbes can turn into plaque and tartar if left untreated for a long time. They are the prime cause of most of the oral conditions such as gingivitis, periodontitis, cavities, etc. Hence, keeping the mouth clean by regular brushing and flossing is very important. When it comes to professional cleaning, dentists perform procedures such as scaling and root planing. They get rid of the accumulated plaque and tartar from the surface of the tooth and the roots. They also smoothen the surface of the tooth and root, which eliminates uneven surfaces where bacteria can get deposited.
Fluoride treatment:Fluoride treatment helps in strengthening your teeth. Fluoride is an essential mineral that's present in your teeth. It's made available to us through the water that we drink and the toothpaste. But, when the adequate amount of fluoride isn't being supplied to the body, a fluoride treatment would be necessary. This strengthens the teeth and prevents the formation of cavities.
X-rays: Dental X-rays are a great way to determine underlying cavities. While most of the times, cavities are very apparent, sometimes they stay hidden and can't be spotted visually. In such cases, dental X-rays prove to be useful.
Gum pocket examination: This is a very important procedure and helps prevent the onset of gum diseases. The gum pockets can sometimes be filled with debris and rotting food particles. Hence, examining the gum pockets would determine any debris that's deposited in there and they can be extracted to prevent any infections.
Dental sealants: Sealants are used to fill the grooves which are found on top of molars and premolars. This prevents the accumulation of food particles and debris in the grooves and therefore, prevents cavities.
Oral cancer screening:Oral cancer is one of the most dangerous dental conditions. It is mostly caused due to chewing tobacco and smoking. During the screening, the dentist would check for signs of redness, bleeding, gum recession, sore gums, abnormal lymph nodes, cysts, lumps, etc. If any such signs are found, then advanced screening processes are required to confirm the presence of oral cancer, after which it can be treated.
Bite evaluation: Evaluation of a person's bite would help determine any malocclusion issues. If found during the early stages, treating them effectively with the help of corrective devices becomes easier.
Salivary diagnosis: This method of screening for oral diseases has proved to be very effective. The dentist tests a small sample of your saliva to determine any oral infection.
D.M.D.