Good diet, medical care, and other factors are allowing us to a live longer life. But our teeth have not adapted to the same long lifespan and need help to last as long as we expect. In order to maintain a good oral hygiene, prevention is always better than cure. Great Lakes Dental can help you with preventive dental care program. Prevent gum diseases and enjoy good health for your teeth. Contact us for a preventive dental care program.
In order to maintain good oral health, the following tips are useful:
- Brush twice a day, floss, and use recommended dental aids correctly. Use a fluoride containing mouth rinse daily.
- See your Dentist for the recall hygiene appointments at the intervals we recommend. Let us provide a topical fluoride treatment at every recall appointment.
- Let us take radiographs when we believe they are necessary.
- Just like the rest of your body, teeth can age and wear. The outer covering of hard enamel can get thin, break off, or wear through and expose the softer dentin. Dentin erodes very quickly. When we see exposed dentin, let us get it covered and protected.
- If you have deep grooves on occlusion surface of your teeth, fissure sealants placed on the teeth can be useful to prevent decay.
- Don’t believe in patch up dentistry. Patchwork dentistry is contrary to the concept of keeping your teeth trouble-free for a lifetime. If small repairs are possible and appropriate, we will tell you.
- All dental materials have a life expectancy, after which they can fail and must be replaced. Choose the procedure or restorative material that will last you the longest. Each time a tooth is re-drilled, it gets weaker. Only solid, yellow gold could last for years. Tooth-coloured ceramics and porcelain may last as long. It is your choice.
- Bonded restorations (current state-of-the-art) require less drilling than silver fillings. Less drilling is good as the tooth retains more strength thus the restoration lasts longer.