Preventive dental care is vital to keeping your teeth healthy throughout your life. The dentist at Olson Dental Family Dentistry, Dr. Chad Olson and Dr. Neda Falak, located in Prior Lake, MN, offers the benefits of preventive dentistry services at their office.
What is Preventive Dentistry?
Preventive dentistry is dental care that allows you to maintain good oral health. It is a mix of regular dental check-ups and developing good habits like routinely brushing and flossing. Taking care of your teeth is a lifelong undertaking that starts in childhood and extends throughout your life.
Common Preventive Dentistry Services
When you receive preventive dentistry services by Dr. Olson and Dr. Falak at their family dentistry office located in Prior Lake, MN, they may include:
- Regular oral exams twice a year
- Teeth cleanings
- Routine X-rays
Much of preventative care starts with you. But, first, you must develop healthy dental habits to reduce cavities, prevent gum disease and gingivitis.
Basics of Good Oral Health
Working with your dentist regularly can help teach you the basics of good oral health, and they include:
- You brushing your teeth at least twice a day using a soft bristle brush and fluoride toothpaste.
- Floss daily to remove food stuck between your teeth before it turns into plaque.
- Use mouthwash after flossing to rinse out food particles.
- Avoid food high in acid that can harm tooth enamel.
- Avoid hard candies, food with bones, seeds, or pits that could damage the teeth.
- Avoid smoking or using other tobacco products.
- Wear a preventative mouthguard when playing sports.
- If you grind your teeth, wear a nighttime mouth guard provided by your dentist to help reduce gum recession.
What is Preventive Dentistry for Children?
When children first start to develop their teeth, good dental habits should begin. Preventative dentistry for a child can help identify problems early on in their life before dental issues become worse and more costly.
Preventative dentistry services provided for children include:
- Brushing and flossing promotion
- Thumb sucking avoidance
- Proper eating habits
- Regular exams and teeth cleaning every six months
- Fluoride application
- Routine X-rays to monitor jaw and teeth development
- Athletic mouth guard fitting
- Orthodontic referrals
What are the Benefits of Preventive Dentistry?
Regular dental exams and cleaning provide many benefits to your oral health, including:
- Lowers risk for developing tooth decay, gum disease, and more serious dental ailments.
- Allows early identification of dental problems, especially those associated with chronic medical conditions such as diabetes, osteoporosis, and cancer.
Preventive dentistry is a crucial part of your health care. Therefore, it is time to call Dr. Olson and Dr. Falak of Olson Dental, a family dentistry office located in Prior Lake, MN, to make an appointment today at (952) 447-4463.