Cleaning and Prevention

Preventive care of your smile is crucial to ensure natural dentition is preserved. By taking a proactive approach to your oral health, you can prevent the occurence or reoccurence of dental diseases or other related issues.

A healthy smile begins at home. Proper oral care is essential to keeping decay, gum disease, and other oral issues at bay. Your dental professionals build upon the work you do at home. To ensure a healthy smile, we recommend a robust oral care routine combined with:

• Regular oral health exams, typically every six months
• Regular professional cleanings
• Routine X-rays

Visiting your dentist at least twice yearly is important to ensure your oral health. Even patients who have the best oral care routine still require professional visits. Regular dental visits will include oral exams, professional cleaning and routine X-rays. These combine to ensure your dentist can catch small issues before they become big problems.

Professional cleanings are important because even the most diligent brusher can always use the help of a thorough dental cleaning. There are a lot of hard to reach areas in your mouth, but a professional cleaning will be able to reach all of these areas and remove any tartar or plaque buildup that may be present. This can help stave off cavities and gum disease. Patients who undergo regular professional dental cleanings are less likely to suffer from dental decay.

The American Dental Association recommends patients visit their dentist at least once a year, but for those who have a history of decay or periodontal disease, the recommendation is more frequent. Most patients can greatly benefit from twice yearly visits, however, depending on your needs, your dentist may recommend visits more or less frequently.

What are the benefits to regular visits to your dentist?

• You can lower your risk for tooth decay, gum disease and more serious oral health issues.
• You’ll be more likely to commit to good oral hygiene habits.
• Your dentist will be able to identify dental issues before they become big problems, which can save time and money.
• You may be able to reduce dental problems that can be related to certain chronic medal issues. For some patients, such as those with diabetes, heart disease, osteoporosis or certain cancers, maintaining good oral health is crucial to whole body health.

At Westgrove Dental, we believe strongly that we are partners together with you in your oral care. Teamwork is important to ensuring you have a healthy smile. So, what is your role in maintaining your oral health?

• Brush at least twice a day using a soft bristle brush and fluoride toothpaste. If you have questions on proper brushing technique, we are always happy to help.
• Floss at least once a day. Flossing is important to remove food that can get stuck between the teeth and at the gumline.
• Add a mouthwash to your care routine. This can help rinse away food particles once you’ve finished brushing.
• Avoid highly acidic foods that can damage the enamel of your teeth.
• Avoid sugary drinks, such as sodas.
• Limit starchy foods that can get stuck to your teeth, such as soft breads and potato chips.
• Avoid smoking or tobacco products.
• Add foods that are mouth healthy to your diet. These include fiber-rich fruits and vegetables, and dairy products.

Westgrove Dental is proud to be your oral healthcare partner. Working together, we can ensure a healthy mouth and a beautiful smile.