Preventive Dental Services

Healthy mouth and teeth are linked with great quality of life.

The importance of preventive dentistry

The old saying ‘prevention rather than intervention’ holds true in the context of preventive dental care. Most dental emergencies can be avoided with a well-balanced diet, good oral hygiene, and regular dental examinations and cleans. To avoid the unwanted toothache, it is important to see your dentist at least twice a year.

With the advances in modern dentistry, we can identify potential problems at early stages—before they cause any pain or discomfort—and treat them with minimal intervention.

Preventive dentistry not only saves unnecessary trips to the dentist but also their associated costs. Addressing your dental needs before they escalate into problems can save you a lot of unnecessary hassle and issues in the long run.

It is estimated that 80% of adults will suffer from gum disease at some point in their lives; gum disease is the leading cause of tooth loss. By developing a preventive dental home care routine in combination with six-monthly professional hygiene visits, we can diagnose and treat gum and bone diseases (gingivitis and periodontitis) in their early stages and reverse any ill effects.

Gum disease is a serious condition that affects not only the health and condition of your mouth but is also linked with increased and concerning health conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure, respiratory disease, lower birth weight of newborns, and stroke.

Through a comprehensive prevention plan, we are able to help our patients keep their mouths healthy and free of decay, gum, and bone disease.

One of the symptoms of gum disease, and perhaps the most embarrassing, is constant bad breath, of which many sufferers are not aware. Other symptoms include bleeding gums (gums should not bleed at all), receding gums, and in some extreme cases, ulcerated gums and draining pus.

Research suggests that the bacteria causing gum disease can be transmitted through saliva. This means that common saliva contact between people, especially within families, puts children and couples at risk of contracting gum disease from another person or family member.

Therefore, if one member of the family has gum disease, we recommend that the entire family be screened for evidence of gum disease. This approach helps either prevent the disease from being passed on to your loved ones or successfully treat the disease if it is present.

At MVDC, we take a proactive approach to treat all potential problems at the root before they develop into a serious condition.

Brushing

Brushing is the most effective and simplest form of hygiene. It keeps your teeth and gums clean and healthy, and ensures your breath stays fresh.

Brushing Tips:

• Use a soft toothbrush with rounded nylon bristles to avoid wearing the enamel or damaging the gums.
• Brush at least twice a day for a minimum of two minutes, especially in the morning and before going to bed.
• Place the toothbrush at a 45-degree angle so the bristles contact both the tooth surface and the gum line. Move the toothbrush in small circular motions, ensuring each tooth is brushed.
• Keeping your brush at a 45-degree angle, repeat the same motion to brush the inside of each tooth, ensuring bristles touch the teeth and the gum line.
• To clean behind your upper and lower front teeth, hold your toothbrush vertically and use the tip to make up-and-down strokes.
• Brush the chewing surfaces of your back teeth by placing the brush on the biting surfaces and using a gentle back-and-forth motion.
• To maintain fresh breath, gently brush your tongue from back to front to remove odour-producing bacteria. Initially, brushing your tongue may be uncomfortable, but you will adapt after a few weeks. It’s a crucial part of your routine cleaning.
• We recommend replacing your toothbrush every three months or after any illness.
• If you must use mouthwash, we recommend an alcohol-free variety.

Flossing:

While many people regularly brush, flossing is a less common routine, yet it is just as important as brushing daily.

Brushing alone cannot remove food particles caught between the teeth, under the gum line, or around braces. The only effective way to reach and remove what the toothbrush has left behind is by flossing at least once a day. We advise flossing every night before bed to remove any food accumulated during the day.

1. Pull approximately 30 cm of floss from the dispenser.
2. Wrap the ends around your middle fingers to secure the floss.
3. Using a gentle back-and-forth motion, carefully insert the floss between two teeth. Guide the floss to the gum line without forcing it, then curve the floss around the side of one tooth and slide it up and down against the tooth surface.
4. Ensure you floss each tooth, including the back ones.

Mastering an efficient and effective flossing technique takes time, but perseverance is key, as flossing should be an integral part of your daily oral hygiene routine.

There are options and alternatives to traditional dental flossing for situations where the contact between teeth is too large or certain areas are difficult to reach. These alternative methods will be discussed with you as part of your routine dental hygiene and maintenance plan

Well balance diet is important not only for your general health but also for your oral health.

Eating and drinking habits have an extremely important role in the development and prevention of tooth decay. Drinks and foods high in starches and sugars react with the bacteria in your mouth, creating acid that attacks the enamel of your teeth resulting in decay, cavities and long term ongoing dental problems. The quantity and the frequency that the sugary acid foods are consume produces a lot of damage to our teeth as the saliva can no longer cleanse and neutralize the acid.

Consuming sweet foods and drinks between meals is the major cause of tooth decay; as there is no down time and recovery period between meals. The more often sweets foods and drinks are consumed, the higher the risk of tooth decay.

• Limit how often you have sweet foods and drinks, and try to have them at meal times rather than as snack.
• Limit soft drinks and sweet drinks even if they are diluted
• Choose healthy snack such as fresh fruit, vegetables, cheese, natural yogurt
• Choose fresh fruit instead of dried fruit. As dried fruit id high I sugar and sticks to your teeth.
• Try to coffee or tea without sugar
• Drink tap water
• Dairy foods help reverse the decay process, so try eating a piece of cheese after having sugary or acid foods.
• Rinse with tap water after eating or drinking.

The best way to avoid dental problems arising is with Preventive dentistry, which consists of a tailored need home dental care and routine six monthly visits to the dentist

We find that if you are interested in Preventive Dental Services then you may also be interested in Dental Hygiene & Cosmetic Dentistry.