Preventive Dental – All about Maintaining Healthy Teeth for Life
OUR TOP PREVENTIVE DENTISTRY TIPS:
Brushing Your Teeth
- Brush twice a day with fluoride toothpaste and a soft, small brush with circular motions with the brush angled at 45 degrees to the gumline.
- Avoid tooth wear by not scrubbing in a back and forth motion.
- Electric toothbrushes can help make brushing easier for many people.
- If your gums bleed consistently, this means they are inflamed and should be checked by your dentist.
Flossing and Interdental Cleaning
- Brushing will not clean in between your teeth.
- Dental flossing ideally should be done daily to supplement brushing and remove food from between your teeth.
- “Pixter” interdental brushes can be very useful for people with large gaps in between their teeth and those with periodontal disease.
Mouthwashes
Some people may require a mouthwash such as “Listerine” or warm salt water. This should only be used as an adjunct to brushing and flossing.
Fissure Sealants
- Fissure seals are preventative treatments where a fluoride releasing resin material is applied to the grooves on 1st adult and 2nd adult molar teeth in order to prevent decay entering the tooth.
- It is important they are placed soon after the eruption of the teeth so that no decay is sealed under the sealant.
- The fluoride released from the resin material will help to strengthen the tooth long term as it undergoes its maturation phase in the first 12 months after eruption.
Tooth Mousse and Recaldent Chewing Gum
- Tooth Mousse is a water based, sugar free cream containing recaldent CPP-ACP which is derived from cows milk. It has the ability to regenerate demineralised enamel tooth structure. It is particularly useful to prevent dental caries in high risk patients, before and after tooth whitening, and for patients with sensitive teeth.
- It is easily applied after brushing your teeth at night.