Our team wants to offer treatments to help you and your family avoid the onset of issues like tooth decay and gum disease, so your smiles stay strong and bright. We do so with treatments like checkups, bruxism appliances, and even care for children. In today’s blog, your Kansas City, MO, dentist talks about our preventive treatment options.
Starting Care with a Checkup
Regardless of age, we want to see you every six months for a checkup visit. During these appointments, we will look at your teeth, gums, roots, and oral structures with advanced digital x-rays and intraoral camera technology, so we can make a diagnosis with precision and accuracy, and uncover issues that may need treatment. For example, our team will watch for cavities, infections, gingivitis, and gum disease. We can screen for oral cancer, and for kids, make sure teeth are erupting and falling out on schedule. We also look for signs of issues like TMJ disorder and bruxism (teeth grinding). For kids, this can also help instill good oral health habits and a better understanding of their smile! They may be more likely to continue seeing the dentist every six months in their adult years. If you want to start your path to a better smile, then schedule a dental exam with our team.
Cleaning Your Teeth
In the same appointment, our team will also conduct a dental cleaning. Over time, plaque forms on the teeth due to bacteria consuming particles of sugar and starch. The buildup then hardens into tartar with time. Without removal, these layers can erode enamel to cause cavities and infection, and inflame gum tissues to cause gingivitis and even gum disease. They are also linked to bad breath and teeth stains too! But with a cleaning, we employ an ultrasonic scaling device and a manual tool to gently and thoroughly break up and remove the buildup. We then polish the teeth, which not only brightens your smile but also limits the severity of plaque and tartar buildup before we see you at your next appointment.
Treating Bruxism
Many people grind and clench their teeth at night due to high stress levels, or as a result of issues that upset bite balance, such as missing teeth, TMJ disorder, misalignment, injury, or issues with the growth and development of the smile. When we grind our teeth, this can lead to headaches, migraines, jaw pain, earaches, facial discomfort, and tooth sensitivity and toothaches. The pressure then wears down enamel and tooth structure, which makes teeth appear shorter and uneven. Teeth could also be cracked and chipped, leading to negative changes to your appearance and a higher risk of tooth decay and infection. Our team can take detailed images and measurements of your smile to design an oral appliance, one worn as you sleep. The device fits like a mouthguard and repositions the jaw to ease underlying pressure and strain. This also places a barrier between the upper and lower sets of teeth to prevent further damage.
Children’s Dentistry
We mentioned the importance of checkups and cleanings for kids above, but we also offer other treatments for little smiles. Too. For example, our team can offer lifelike and biocompatible fillings to treat tooth decay and protect them from infections. During their checkup and cleaning visits, we can administer fluoride in a varnish form to the teeth to strengthen enamel and lower the risk of cavities. Our team can also offer dental sealants, which are thin layers of acrylic that can coat the rear teeth, the molars difficult for kids to reach when they brush and floss. This means food and drink particles can no longer be stuck between these teeth, lowering the risk of tooth decay and dental infection. The sealants can stay in place for up to ten years and wear away with time. Both fluoride and sealants take seconds to apply, and kids just need to avoid food and drink for about 30 minutes as the material cures.
If you have any questions about our approach to preventive dentistry, or if you would like to schedule a visit with our team for a checkup and cleaning, then contact our team today to learn more.
DO YOU NEED PREVENTIVE DENTISTRY?
If you want to keep your smile healthy and strong, or would like to learn more about our preventive treatments, call Delightful Dental Care in Kansas City, MO, today at (816)942-7669. Preventive dentistry can help patients of all ages maintain strong and healthy smiles.