Sunday 13 January 2013

Advice on Silver Spring Cosmetic Dentistry: Maintaining Lifelong Smile Confidence, PART 2

A thorough home oral hygiene routine and a diet that is low in sugar, fats and acids. These, according to Silver Spring cosmetic dentistry experts, are two of the four things we can do to keep our teeth and gums healthy for life. And as we all know, healthy teeth and gums are the essential components of a beautiful and attractive smile! In this article, the second half of the series, we shall move on to the next two important areas of oral health care that will help you keep your teeth in excellent lifelong condition: regular appointments with the dentist and knowing which habits to avoid, or seek immediate treatment for.

Advice on Silver Spring Cosmetic Dentistry: Regular Dental Appointments and Professional Cleanings

Silver Spring Cosmetic Dentist

Going for regularly scheduled dental appointments and professional cleanings are an integral component of the preventative care that will – that's right – prevent serious problems such as cavities, tooth decay and gum disease from happening in the first place. Every time you go for an appointment – which should be twice a year – the dentist will perform a thorough visual inspection of your teeth and gums. X-rays will help the dentist inspect the health and orientation of your teeth beneath the gum, revealing any problems such as decay, abscesses and cavities. If problems are identified, they can be treated in their infancy before they have the chance to do extensive and perhaps even irreparable damage. Incidentally, preventative treatment is painless and far less expensive than the procedures required to treat advanced disease.

The hygienist will then perform a thorough cleaning of your teeth, scraping away plaque (bacteria) and hardened deposits of plaque (tartar) from the surface of your teeth and just below the gum line. This calculus simply cannot be removed with regular brushing and flossing and even the most rigorous home oral hygiene cannot prevent the accumulation of tartar on the teeth.

Silver Spring cosmetic dentistry experts

If you ever experience any oral problems or dental pain in between appointments with the dentist, it is crucial you book an appointment as soon as possible. Do not wait more than two days.

Silver Spring Cosmetic Dentistry: Habits to Avoid or Seek Treatment For
  • Using your teeth as tools to force open containers / tear packaging / chew ice.
  • Teeth grinding (Bruxism)
  • Tobacco use of any kind, whether its chewing or smoking
  • Excessive alcohol drinking
  • Drug abuse (both prescription and illegal)
  • Eating disorders
All of the habits and addictions mentioned above have serious and far-reaching effects on your general health, but they also ruin your teeth and can, in the long term, cause tooth loss and edentulism (toothlessness). If you do suffer from any of them, speak to your Silver Spring Cosmetic Dentist about what you can do to treat the damage done, prevent further damage and free yourself of the habit or addiction all together.