What is the Goal of Preventive Dentistry?
The importance of preventing tooth and gum disease cannot be understated. Signature Dental works with every patient to ensure they understand the importance of taking care of their teeth. Many medical conditions can affect a patient’s oral health, and many dental conditions can impact a patient’s medical health. It’s important to understand how ignoring your teeth can influence the rest of your general health, and that’s why we take such pride in providing thorough patient education and top-notch preventative services. Whether you want to prevent your teeth from grinding in your sleep, learn how to floss your teeth properly, or prevent bad breath from occurring, we can help.
Patient Education at Signature Dental
We take the time to explain treatments and procedures to you to make sure you understand your options and to help you make decisions about your oral health. What’s more, Signature Dental takes the time to explain the pros and cons of treatments, including side effects, risks, and any other relevant information you need to know. When it comes to educating patients about prevention, we don’t just focus on oral health; we make sure you understand how a condition such as gum disease can impact your overall general health. We provide you with brochures and packets of information to help you make the most of your dental visits and to get the most out of your at-home routines.
Proper Cleaning Techniques
You have been brushing your teeth and gums your whole life, but our experience has taught us that a lot of people are doing it wrong. At Signature Dental, we take the time to show you how to brush your teeth and clean your gums properly. As well, we’ll show you how to properly floss so you reduce your risk of developing harmful bacteria that can develop as a result of too much tartar build up on your teeth. Patients sometimes glaze over the importance of proper brushing and flossing, but it has shown to decrease the risk of gum disease. If you skip flossing during your regular brushing routine, you’re missing up to one-third of the entire surface of the tooth, and that leaves a lot of room for bacteria to grow and cause problems for you.
Preventative Mouthguards
Mouthguards are used for a variety of reasons. You might need a mouthguard if you grind your teeth in your sleep, or if you have worn braces or have braces. Every mouthguard is fitted just for you to ensure a proper fit and to ensure maximum effectiveness at preventing breakage or further damage from occurring to your teeth. What’s more, mouthguards are also available to protect your teeth while playing sports. Mouthguards are usually only worn on the top teeth, but in some cases, we may recommend you wear a mouthguard on the bottom set of teeth to prevent damage from occurring.
Dental Sealants
Dental sealants are also called “pit and fissure” sealants or fissure sealants. This preventative treatment is used to prevent decay from occurring on the surface of the teeth. Dentists use dental sealants on the molars where food and other bacteria can rest in the grooves of the teeth and create a breeding ground for infection and bacteria. In most cases, sealants are used on children’s teeth to prevent them from getting cavities because they haven’t mastered the art of brushing their teeth yet; but they are also used for adult teeth, especially if a person is prone to cavities. Dental sealants can be placed on your teeth in our Frisco or Richardson, TX offices.These sealants last about 10 years.
Treating Halitosis (Bad Breath)
We know that bad breath can cause a lot of problems for our patients, so we’re pleased to be able to provide you with a series of treatment options that can help you reduce the impact of halitosis in your life. These treatments might include tongue scraping, regular deep cleanings, education about at-home cleaning, as well as medications that might be able to help.
Contact Signature Dental
Prevention is key when it comes to maintaining your oral health for years to come. Don’t delay in setting up an appointment to talk to the professionals at Signature Dental about your education and treatment options today. We offer our dental services from our two locations in Frisco and Richardson, TX. Make an appointment with our Richardson dentist to talk about your dental health today. We look forward to working with you to help you achieve your best smile!
