Proper dental care can ensure the longer life and better health of your teeth and gums. Observing good oral hygiene is a habit that is usually adapted at an early age. Encouraging your children to follow regular cleaning, flossing and other oral hygiene habits will ensure they continue these habits into their adult lives. Those children who practice good oral hygiene habits and are regular visitors to the dentist, have fewer cavities when they grow up and enjoy better oral health.
Preventive measures are often the best way to maintain good health. Regular brushing, flossing as recommended by a hygienist or other dental professional can reduce the incidence of caries and decay. Visiting the dentist every 4-6 months can help in early detection of oral cancer and finding decays, cavities etc.
Adults often come to the dentist office with malocclusion or tooth crowding. The dental professional could suggest that the patient replace part of a tooth or remove it and have restorative treatment. This sort of treatment can be less costly than orthodontic treatment and takes less time. If you front incisors are crooked, the dentist might suggest restorative treatment such as placing a crown over the incisors. Crooked teeth can also be straightened using Invisalign – a detachable, almost invisible, flexible, molded and customized aligners. This procedure may take a long time to deliver the desired goal, but is widely recommended for adults with malocclusion.
One of the treatments that many dread at the dentist office is the root canal. Tiny canals inside the root may become infected. The pulp inside the tooth then becomes diseased and you would experience pain and inflammation. An endodontist will perform the root canal procedure to remove the infection. The diseased pulp is removed and the canals are filled. The tooth is filled or a crown mounted. Crowning adds strength to the tooth. The whole procedure can be finished in a couple of visits. Modern root canals can be done in a short time and are less painful when conducted under sedation.
For those who have missing teeth or lost their teeth with age, your dentist might suggest replacement of the teeth with dental implants. These non-removable dentures are functional and look and feel like the patient’s natural teeth. They help to improve the patient’s self esteem and improve appearance as well as the ability to speak. The dental implants can last for ten years or more with proper care and regular visits to the dentist. Greenbelt MD residents can consult local dental professionals for their dental needs and for state of the art procedures.
