Dental Care
Taking care of your dental needs is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. You want to have a radiant smile and fresh breath when you are face to face with family, friends, and peers. The key to keeping not only your teeth, but also your entire mouth, at their best is by visiting your dentist every six months. Our mouths come in contact with more than we think they do. We eat with them, not always the cleanest foods, kiss our loved ones, bite our nails, and some of us are known to chew on our pen caps! Who knows what kind of germs and bacteria have found homes in our mouths, and let's face it, our mouths make good homes for those germs to thrive in.
So how does seeing dentists help? Dentists or dental hygienists help keep our mouths healthy by cleaning our teeth and gums to rid them of the bacteria growing there. By using their special tools, dentists are able to reach places our ordinary toothbrushes can't reach. Brushing your teeth after each meal, or at least twice a day, helps prevent some of the unwanted buildup of plaque and tarter on our teeth. Flossing is important too. The crevices between your teeth make a good place for the bacteria to hide and multiply.
Eating a lot of sugary foods without regular brushing can lead to cavities. A cavity is a hole in the tooth caused by plaque, which is a slimy, sticky substance made up mostly of germs. The bacteria in your mouth make acids and when plaque clings to your teeth, the acids eat away at the enamel, or the outermost layer of the tooth. The dentist will carefully examine your teeth and may take X-rays. If a cavity is discovered, your dentist will repair the cavity for you by first removing the rotted part of your tooth with a special drill then filling the hole with a special material resulting in what is called a filling.
Try to avoid cavities by taking care of your teeth. Brush up and down in a circular motion and gently brush your gums as well to keep them healthy. Brushing your teeth at bedtime is a good idea. Your mouth will be cleaner and there will be fewer bacteria to multiply during those hours you are asleep. You only have one set of adult teeth so taking care of them now will greatly lessen your chances of needing dentures in your golden years.
That doesn't mean you shouldn't take care of the first set of teeth, or as you may call them, the baby teeth. Taking your child to the dentist regularly helps set the groundwork for healthy teeth in the future. Teach your child the importance of good oral hygiene and proper brushing habits. Start out by brushing your child's teeth for them until they are old enough to brush themselves. Continue supervising your child as he or she brushes to ensure good habits are developed and help teach flossing the same way. We take our children to the pediatrician when they are sick and to prevent illness with immunizations, why not take them to the dentist to prevent cavities and take care of their oral health.