Preventative Care: What you need to know

Our teeth require special care and attention just like any other part of our bodies.

As the world moves faster and our lives become busier, developing and maintaining a self-care routine is of high priority. A proper preventative care routine should be at the top of your list. Fighting off oral complications such as gum disease, cavities and mouth cancer is best achieved by building and maintaining a comprehensive oral health routine.

What is preventative care, and why you should care about it

Preventative care consists of both the oral health care habits you make for yourself at home, as well as making routine visits to your dentist for services such as scaling and polishing. When it comes to fighting tooth loss, it's decay and gum disease that are the culprits to be blamed. 

The better prepared you are to fight/treat tooth decay and gum disease, the more likely you’ll be to keep your lovely smile for life.

How can a dental expert contribute to a  preventative care routine?

At M Street Dental, we take pride in helping our clients optimize their oral health through education, ongoing and personalized support, as well as helping consumers develop the tools necessary to keep their teeth/gums as healthy as possible. 

Make your appointment today!

Now that we’ve covered a few of the basics, let’s go over a couple of the common questions/concerns that come along with building a preventative care routine.

1. Can diet affect my teeth?

SUGAR

When it comes to your oral health, foods, and drinks containing sugar can cause tooth decay. We suggest trying to eliminate unnecessary sugars whenever possible and give your teeth/gums the diet they deserve to thrive best. Diets that are high in fruits, vegetables, and minerals can help combat gum disease and help to prevent oral cancer(s). 

2. Can smoking and drinking affect my teeth and gums?

The answer is, yes. 

Smoking and drinking, despite the research supporting the adverse effects they have on our health, has become a part of our social fabric. That being said, it is important that we understand the impact these habits have on our well-being- and of course, our oral health. 

Smoking (nicotine) can lead to vasoconstriction - decreased blood flow to gum tissues. This decreases your body's ability to fight gum disease. Also, smoking often causes dry mouth. Our saliva has many protective factors to defend from gum disease and decay. It is well understood that alcoholic beverages can cause mouth cancer. Not to mention, the combination of both smoking and drinking makes for a perfect storm -  a storm that leaves you more at risk of developing oral complications such as mouth cancer(s). 

Alcoholic beverages are often high in sugars and certain acids which can add to tooth decay and erosion. 

What Can YOU do to Build/Maintain a Preventative Care Routine?

Much like the food we choose to put in our bodies and the exercise we make a priority out of, building/maintaining a preventative care routine comes down to a few simple rules. 

Let’s have a look.

• Consistency - Start by making sure the last thing you do each day is brushing your teeth with fluoride toothpaste. In addition, make sure you are brushing your teeth at least one other time during the day. Like all of our body’s functions, regularity is the key to building/maintaining a preventative care routine. 

• Deep Cleaning - Make sure you’re regularly getting between your teeth with both interdental brushes and floss. We recommend floss first and interdental brushes as an additional tool for patients to use. We prefer flossing first, but also understand that some people find interdental brushes to be quicker/easier to use. In terms of effectively cleaning, floss > interdental brushes.

• Regular visits to your dentist - Our recommendation is to see the dentist at least once a year and the hygienist at least twice a year at a minimum. By visiting your dentist regularly, and keeping up with routine checkups, along with services such as scaling and polishing, all the work you’re putting in at home will be that much more effective. There is only so much we can do on our own when it comes to staying on top of our oral health. 

Book your appointment today!  

Self-care can be a complicated subject. Preventative oral care, and the health of our teeth, is no exception to this. But, it doesn’t have to be. At M-Street Dental, we have made it our mission to take away the stress of caring for your teeth, helping you achieve the smile you’ve always wanted, and answering any of the questions you have along the way. 

Get in touch with one of our dental experts today. We can’t wait to hear from you.