Preventative Care for The Win: Avoiding Common Oral Health Problems

Did you know that there’s an entire subsection of dentistry devoted to preventing common oral health issues? It’s called “preventative dentistry,” and it mainly focuses on regular oral hygiene and checkups. As it turns out, a clean mouth is often a healthy mouth. To learn more about some common oral health problems, keep reading. You’ll see that preventative dentistry is for the win!

Tooth Decay

You might know this notorious problem under a different name: cavities. Technically, though, cavities are a form of tooth decay. If you don’t take care of your teeth with daily brushing and flossing, the bacteria you accumulate throughout the door and at night will gradually erode your enamel. Hence, your tooth slowly “decays.”

At-home oral hygiene can mitigate bacterial growth, but it’s the hardened form – plaque – that you’ll need a professional for.

Gum Disease

Gum disease gets more and more prevalent as you age. Once again, poor oral hygiene is often the culprit. Instead of attacking your teeth, though, the bacteria that cause gum disease attack your gums. As your pink oral supports recede in response, your teeth will start to loosen and can even fall out entirely. If you experience bleeding or swollen gums, you might need periodontal therapy more than preventative care.

Oral Cancer

While unhindered bacteria growth probably doesn’t help, oral cancer is more commonly associated with excessive tobacco and alcohol usage. In this case, your dentist’s preventative strategy is to keep a close eye on your oral health over time. Oral cancer is actually often curable if caught early, which is why biannual checkups are important!

Dental Sensitivity

Do your teeth hurt after touching hot or cold foods? Then you probably have dental sensitivity! More often than not, it’s a result of weakened enamel – which can occur due to genetics and everyday wear and tear just as easily as poor oral hygiene.

If you’d like to avoid dental sensitivity, use fluoride toothpaste and limit your acidic food consumption. Otherwise, your dentist may be able to treat your sensitivity with special desensitizing agents.

Toothaches

Everyone gets toothaches from time to time, right? Not necessarily, and that still wouldn’t mean that they’re harmless. Aching teeth can simply be a sign of a sinus infection, or they could indicate you have a harmful oral condition that could have probably been prevented with oral hygiene and dental visits. If your toothache is persistent, call your emergency dentist to make sure you don’t have tooth decay or gum disease!

Avoiding common oral health problems doesn’t have to be rocket science. Often, it simply comes down to diligent brushing and flossing habits, as well as scheduling regular visits with your dentist. Between at-home maintenance and your dentist’s professional help, your preventative care will be top-notch!

About the Author

Dr. Jason Kaopua has 20 years of experience in dentistry, and has completed several advanced training courses to stay up to date with emerging technologies and methods. A healthy smile is one you can be confident in, and Dr. Kaopua is passionate about providing patients with best preventive care possible so they can enjoy pristine teeth for years to come. To contact his office and schedule a checkup and cleaning, call 425-267-3333.