Focus On Prevention For Your Best Oral Health! [BLOG]

An ounce of prevention is worth thousands of dollars!

 

We’ve all heard that old saying, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, but the real question is where and when do we apply that in our lives?  There are some simple answers like wearing a seatbelt or sunscreen that most of us take advantage of regularly. There are also some simple things we can do that most of us ignore, and in dentistry, most of the stuff we hate having done can be prevented by simple, quick, painless, and cheap preventive measures!

 

Fluoride isn’t just for kids anymore!

Well, it never really was just for kids!  The reason that we use it is because we all worry that our kids aren’t doing a perfect job of brushing and flossing and we also know they tend to eat sweets and drink colas and, of course, we love them.  To protect them, we use tools like Fluoride treatments to help prevent decay in the teeth and that makes perfect sense. Decay has been all but eliminated on smooth tooth surfaces with the use of fluoride.

 

What doesn’t make sense is to ignore the benefits of fluoride in all the people who have teeth and aren’t kids!  The reality is that kids aren’t the only ones who don’t floss well, and when teeth have restorations in them, they are much more at risk at that junction between the tooth and artificial material.  Whether those restorations are metal or plastic or porcelain, applying fluoride topically on a regular basis (like your cleaning visits) is a fantastic way to extend the life of those restorations and protect your healthy tooth structure!

 

**There is a 75% reduction in new decay when used every hygiene visit!**

 

Dental Sealants are always a great option!

The back teeth naturally have deep groves and those deep grooves are harder to keep clean.  While fluoride protects the smooth surfaces, those deep grooves get more than peanuts stuck in them.  The bottom of the groove starts off collecting stain, which then becomes sticky and a great home for bacteria.  Over time, bacteria will continue to attack those deep grooves with their acidic waste and weaken the enamel of the tooth.  As this acid eats through the tooth structure, it invades deeper layers of the tooth and progresses faster as it goes.

 

A dental sealant will fill in those deep grooves and stop this process in its tracks!  A sealant is a thin layer of resin that flows into the deeper grooves and seals them and makes the tooth much easier to keep clean and healthy.  Just like the clear coat protects the paint on your car or fingernails, the sealant protects the tooth structure and prevents the decay process getting started.

 

**Without sealants, you have a 95% risk of getting cavities!**

 

Schedule An Appointment!

For your best oral health, take advantage of our preventive dentistry services!

Call Aesthetic Dentistry of Georgetown today at 512-819-9100 or fill out our online form to request an appointment. Be sure to ask your hygienist if fluoride or sealants would be a great investment to protect your teeth and health!