There’s an old adage that states, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” and we couldn’t agree more. Consider this: 178 million Americans are missing at least one tooth and 40 million are missing all of their teeth. If you want to avoid becoming part of these numbers and, instead, ensure that all of your teeth continue to serve you well, preventive dentistry is paramount.
At Peninsula Dental Excellence, we offer a wide range of preventive services that include everything from sealants to dental crowns. Under the direction of Drs. Jeff Yoshihara and Colin Au, our goal is to provide you with the tools you need to enjoy a lifetime of great dental health.
While there are many ways to accomplish this, we cover three of the more important types of preventive dentistry here.
Your first line of defense when it comes to protecting your teeth and gums against decay and disease is your twice-yearly dental cleaning with us. Even if you're diligent about your at-home care, bacteria can still build up in your mouth, especially in those hard-to-reach places.
With our professional cleaning, you get an experienced hygienist who has the right tools to clear away stubborn plaque and tartar buildup that brushing alone can’t tackle.
As well, your dental cleaning is a great time for us to monitor your dental health. If, during your cleaning, we spot any signs of trouble, we can quickly turn to an X-ray to determine whether we need to take evasive action.
Another great way to protect your teeth is to boost their defenses. For example, with dental sealants, we can protect those pits and fissures in your teeth that are susceptible to decay. We can also supply fluoride varnishes that help boost the strength of your enamel.
While avoiding dental work is one of the biggest benefits of preventive dentistry, decay and infection can still develop despite your best efforts. In these cases, we do everything we can to preserve your tooth, which is largely made possible through fillings and crowns.
If the tooth decay is small enough, we can clear away the affected tissue and fill in your cavity with a filling. This preserves the structural integrity of the crown of your tooth while halting the progression of the decay.
If the decay is advanced or you have an infection in the roots of your teeth, we can often still preserve your tooth with a dental crown. Once we clear out the infectious tissue, we place a protective cap over your tooth that fits in seamlessly with your surrounding teeth. This new dental crown allows you to maintain your tooth and its roots, which helps keep all of your teeth healthy.
If you’d like to learn more about the many ways you can preserve your dental health through preventive dentistry, please contact our office in Mountain View, California.
