PREVENTATIVE DENTISTRY

Working Together For A Lifelong Healthy Smile

Regular dental visits for cleanings and oral health checks combined with excellent home care routines are the essence of preventative dentistry. The goal of preventative dentistry is to be able to keep your teeth and gums healthy throughout your lifetime and actively prevent dental problems that may require invasive treatments. Ideally, preventative dentistry begins early in childhood by learning the proper way to brush and floss your teeth as well as maintaining regular dental visits to identify problems early before they become bigger dental issues. Tidewater Family Dentistry encourages all patients to take charge of their oral health by keeping routine visits to the dentist and brushing and flossing at home.

You can fundamentally change your oral health and make positive impacts on your overall health by observing good oral health habits like brushing twice a day and flossing every day. As we eat and drink throughout the day, the sugars in our food and beverages mix with saliva to create a sticky, colorless substance called plaque. Plaque contains bacteria and settles between teeth and around the gumline. If plaque is not removed by brushing and flossing, it can harden and form tartar on your teeth. The bacteria in plaque begins to eat away at your enamel and cause decay. It may also inflame the gum tissue eventually leading to the early stage gum disease known as gingivitis.

Routine Dental Checkups

As recommended by the American Dental Association, twice yearly visits to the dentist are an important part of maintaining your healthy smile. When you come in for routine visits you can expect:

A thorough cleaning performed by one of our registered dental hygienists to include plaque and tartar removal as well as polishing teeth to help remove stains.
Routine x-rays and intraoral images to detect any underlying issues with your dental health.
An oral exam including periodontal checks to evaluate the health of your gums and identify any decay that may be present or loose fillings/crowns.
Oral cancer screenings are given as part of the routine examination to identify precancerous or cancerous growths in the mouth and throat. Early detection of oral cancer is the key to successfully treating cancer with positive health outcomes.
Fluoride treatment, if necessary.
Provide education on proper brushing and flossing techniques to help you achieve your best oral health.
Offer sealants for children or teens that can help protect teeth from decay.
Referral to orthodontist as needed for tweens and teens that may have an improper bite or malocclusion.

Tidewater Family Dentistry is dedicated to helping patients achieve their best oral health. If you have any concerns that arise between dental visits, don’t hesitate to call us at (757) 874-6712.

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Home Care

Did you know that you can reverse the early stages of gum disease by flossing your teeth every day? Usually when people think of good oral health they think, “No cavities!”. The health of your gums is equally as important as the health of your teeth. The gums are meant to fit securely around your teeth to protect them from bacteria and germs that can affect the bone leading to tooth loss. Maintaining healthy gums decreases the risk of health problems and diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, pregnancy complications and even dementia.

Tidewater Family Dentistry encourages you to take charge of the health of your gums and teeth by observing a few home care guidelines.

Brushing and Flossing

Brushing your teeth twice daily, usually in the morning and before bed, is the best way to cleanse your mouth of plaque that builds up through the night and through the day. Brushing your teeth will help remove residual sugars left in the mouth from food and drinks as well as neutralize the pH of the mouth. Using a soft-bristled toothbrush that fits comfortably in your mouth, brush in a circular pattern with the brush at a 45° angle to target the plaque that lingers around the gumline. You can set a timer while you brush for 2 minutes twice a day.

Flossing your teeth every day will help remove stubborn food that gets stuck between teeth and reach the areas of your teeth that the toothbrush is sure to miss. Flossing helps strengthen the gum tissue around your teeth which helps protect your teeth from harmful bacteria and germs.

Replace Toothbrush Every 3 Months

You should replace your toothbrush every three months or sooner to ensure that you are getting the most out of your oral health care routine. Toothbrushes wear out and using them past their life will not give you the best results and your oral health may suffer. If your bristles become flattened or spread apart, you need to replace your toothbrush and it may indicate you are brushing your teeth too hard.

Schedule and Keep Your 6 Month Dental Visits

Tidewater Family Dentistry strongly encourages patients to make and keep their regularly scheduled dental visits every 6 months. At this time, we can check in on your oral health and identify any areas that may need improvement. Routine dental visits also allow us to identify any dental problems that you may have early before they can become bigger problems requiring more invasive treatment. Plus, we look forward to seeing you and catching up on life!

At Tidewater Family Dentistry, we look forward to helping you achieve your optimal oral health and take part in your preventative dentistry so that you can reap the benefits of a healthy smile throughout life. Call (757) 874-6712 to get started on your best oral health today!