Preventative Care

If your teeth and gums are generally healthy, the best practice is to visit your dentist for preventive care twice a year. Preventive care includes checkups, professional cleanings, and fluoride treatments. However, if you have weak enamel or gum disease and your teeth are prone to cavities, you may be recommended to visit your dentist every 3 to 4 months.

Fluoride treatments are excellent for children because they strengthen enamel and help prevent cavities, thereby helping maintain good oral and general health. However, fluoride treatments are just as beneficial for adults as for children and help prevent tooth decay, gum disease, and costly treatment. It is recommended to have fluoride treatments twice a year in combination with professional cleanings.

During a preventive dental appointment, your dentist will visually examine the health of your teeth and gums and, if necessary, take X-rays or scans. If any issues are detected, you will be recommended the procedures you require to treat them, such as dental fillings, root canals, etc. Then, you will undergo a professional dental cleaning. During this procedure, your oral hygienist will remove plaque and tartar from your teeth. Finally, it is recommended to opt for a professional fluoride treatment as a part of your preventive dental appointment. Fluoride treatments help strengthen tooth enamel and prevent cavities.

You need a dental checkup sooner than six months if you notice the following symptoms:

● Dark spots on the teeth (can be brown, gray, or black)
● Holes in the enamel
● Tooth sensitivity to hot and cold foods and beverages or to sugar
● Persistent unpleasant taste in the mouth or bad breath that does not go away after flossing and brushing
● Pimples on the gums
● Changes in the color of the gums or swollen gums
● Frequent bleeding of the gums when flossing and brushing
● Chipped dental restorations
● Persistent toothache or pain when biting down or chewing food

Most dental insurance plans cover preventive dentistry. In fact, insurance often covers 100% of checkups, cleanings, and annual X-rays. Fluoride treatments are commonly fully covered for children and sometimes covered for adults, depending on the plan. However, insurance usually limits preventive visits to once every 6 months, so you may need to pay out of pocket if you require preventive care more often.

A general dentist typically conducts a dental exam. During the exam, your doctor will visually evaluate the health of your teeth and gums and take X-rays or scans if necessary. Exams help spot oral health issues before they become serious and plan treatments accordingly.

A dental hygienist typically performs a cleaning. During this procedure, your dentist will use specialized tools to remove plaque and tartar accumulation from your teeth. Cleanings help maintain good oral health and prevent decay, gum disease, and expensive treatments in the future.

The most common preventive dental treatments include:

● Exams, X-rays, and scans
● Professional cleanings
● Fluoride treatments
● Oral cancer screening

Plaque is acidic and a perfect environment for bacterial proliferation. Both bacteria and acid gradually destroy the enamel of your teeth, leading to cavities and tooth decay. Additionally, if plaque is not removed regularly, it hardens into tartar, which can be removed only with specialized professional dental equipment. Finally, plaque and tartar accumulation are the main causes of gum disease.