A general dentist offers many services. From filling cavities to teaching kids how to brush teeth, your general dentist is there for you. Care that involves stopping a problem before it happens is called preventative care. General dentists happen to specialize in educating patients on this type of care. The education and practice of maintaining good oral health starts with preventative care. This can include daily brushing, flossing and biannual dental cleanings, among others.
One must be diligent when it comes to their oral health routine. Brushing twice per day is crucial to keeping your teeth and gums as healthy as possible. However, just brushing usually does not do the trick on its own. In fact, many of the treatments completed by a dentist are to detect the potential areas in the mouth where problems could arise. Going to your general dentist twice per year will help to catch these problem areas before they even become a problem.
A daily brushing and flossing routine is the best way to take control of oral health. Brush twice daily, once in the morning and once at night. Flossing once per day is important. Those spots between teeth tend to harbor food particles that cannot easily be brushed free. If you are unsure of the correct technique, your dentist will be able to give you a detailed training session to make sure you are well equipped to clean your mouth. This training is especially helpful for children just learning to brush and floss.
During a dental exam, the dentist will carefully inspect all areas of the mouth with a trained eye. To detect unseen areas where tooth decay might appear, the dentist will take an x-ray of the oral cavity. This will give you and your dentist a deeper look into areas between teeth and even near the jawbone to spot potential issues.
This smart solution is a colored liquid that sticks to plaque. The dentist will likely first instruct you to brush your teeth the way you normally do at home. After, you will swish the disclosing agent around your mouth. Just like that, the areas you missed while brushing are highlighted for you to see! The dentist will then teach you how to reach these neglected areas and can offer advice for cleaning each part of the mouth. Often, a general dentist might recommend an antibacterial oral rinse to clear hard-to-reach areas of plaque buildup.
A practice that is becoming popular for younger dental patients, fluoride varnish is used after a professional deep cleaning to reinforce the procedure. This solution, which is applied directly to the teeth after a dental cleaning, helps make the teeth more resistant to plaque and decay. Although mostly used on children, adults can also benefit from fluoride varnish.
This form of preventive care involves applying a thin film of clear material designed to protect newly emerged molars from tooth decay. A child's tooth is vulnerable to decay when it first grows past the gumline, so sealants help to prevent tooth decay in the naturally formed grooves in these teeth.
Request an appointment here: https://www.gablesexceptionaldentistry.com or call Gables Exceptional Dentistry at (305) 203-4132 for an appointment in our Coral Gables office.
Check out what others are saying about our dental services on Yelp: General Dentist.
A general dentist is the best source to ask when looking for ways to prevent a toothache. Scheduling an appointment for a toothache is one activity we would love to avoid. We all know that we should go to the dentist every six months to prevent cavities, but there are times when toothaches decide to…
Having cavities is one of the main reasons patients seek out the help of their dentist. Although you should go to your dentist regularly, many patients don't take the time for several reasons. However, it is difficult to ignore a cavity. It is not unusual for people to see their dentist because their cavity has…
A broken tooth can happen with an injury to the mouth or from dental problems. A sports injury to the face, a car accident, or a lost filling are common ways for teeth to break. These situations can be frightening and traumatic, but a dentist can save a damaged tooth in some cases. The key…
If you lost a tooth, a permanent tooth replacement is important. You should not have to live with a missing tooth. There are both cosmetic and health implications for this. You may feel embarrassed and have low self-esteem. Plus, it can be difficult to eat a well-balanced diet when you have lost a tooth. However,…
Tooth extraction isn’t generally that complex of a procedure unless we’re talking about wisdom tooth removal. While normal and even surgical extractions can be standard practice, having your wisdom teeth taken out can be a much more involved task for both you and your dentist, depending on the situation behind the removal. It is not…
Tooth decay and teeth whitening treatments simply do not mix. The bleaching agents used for the treatment weaken enamel. That can lead to discomfort and damage to teeth structures if the patient has existing issues like cavities. If the patient’s teeth are healthy, the procedure only leads to temporary increased teeth sensitivity that should go…
