Preventive dentistry is important, helping you enjoy better oral health by safeguarding you and your family against common concerns like tooth decay and gingivitis. From the initial exam to our bruxism appliances, we can help you enjoy optimal oral health! In today’s blog, your Kansas City, MO, dentist talks about our approach to preventive dentistry.

Starting with a Preventive Checkups

We want to see you and your family every six months for a preventive checkup and cleaning. The serious oral health concerns that can threaten your smile don’t form overnight, so checking in two times a year is a chance to catch them in the early stages, often before you develop discomfort. With the dental exam portion, our team will take a close look at your smile with digital imaging technology, including digital x-rays, so we can quickly and comfortably examine your teeth, gums, roots, and more.

In the same visit, our team will also conduct a cleaning, which benefits patients of all ages. The cleaning portion allows us to remove all plaque and tartar buildup with an ultrasonic scaling device and a manual tool. The process only takes a few minutes, but helps lower the risk of bad breath, teeth stains, cavities, and even gingivitis and gum disease.

Deep Cleanings

What if you already have warning signs of gum disease, such as sore, red, and bleeding gums? You may need more than a cleaning to begin managing the disease. With a preventive deep cleaning, we use the same tools mentioned above, but we also remove plaque and tartar from the surfaces of the exposed roots and form beneath the gum line too. The procedure is more involved and we will numb your smile to keep you comfortable. This could take one visit or several, and afterward we can conduct traditional cleaning every three to four months to control buildup and manage the disease.

Bruxism Treatment

Preventive dentistry also enables our team to treat teeth grinding. A common disorder that can impact all ages, persistent teeth grinding can lead to damaged teeth and an increased risk of tooth decay and infection. Your teeth could appear shorter than usual too. Our team will take detailed images of your smile from multiple angles and use them to custom-fit an oral appliance to your bite. The device will look like a mouthguard, and is worn while you sleep. Once in place, this device actually repositions the jaw to correct underlying stress and strain in your jaw joints. To prevent further damage from bruxism, this also puts a soft barrier between the upper and lower sets of teeth. You can also help by avoiding hard or chewy foods, using a warm washcloth to ease facial tension, and avoiding caffeinated products.

Children’s Dentistry

Now is a great time to talk about our preventive approach to children’s dentistry. With Halloween around the corner and the holiday season right behind it, kids are going to be inundated with sugar. Over time, this increases the risk of tooth decay and infection, causing painful symptoms and even increasing the risk of major complications like misalignment as baby teeth are lost prematurely. But we can offer a checkup and cleaning for kids to monitor the smile and remove harmful buildup.

To help prevent tooth decay, we also have preventive treatments like fluoride varnish and dental sealants. During the exam portion, we will place a special fluoride varnish on the teeth. This takes seconds and kids need to avoid food and drink for about 30 minutes. The fluoride then strengthens the outer enamel, even the weakened portions, to prevent cavities. With dental sealants, we add a special acrylic coating to the rear teeth, the molars that are hard for kids to reach when they brush and floss. The sealants take seconds to apply and again, kids need to avoid food and drink for about a half hour. The sealants prevent food and drink particles from being stuck on or between the molars, limiting the risk of cavities. They can also stay in place for up to ten years!

If you have any questions about our approach to preventive dentistry, or if you would like to schedule a visit with our team, then contact our team today to learn more.

Schedule a Preventive Appointment With Our Team

Our team wants to help you enjoy good oral health and a bright, shining smiles. To schedule an appointment with the team at Delightful Dental Care in Kansas City, MO, call our office today at 816-942-7669.