Preventative Dentistry
Regular preventive care is the best way to keep your mouth healthy and comfortable and to avoid dental and medical treatment.
What is Preventive Dentistry?
Preventive dentistry encompasses professional dental care and practicing good hygiene at home. This helps to avoid cavities, gum disease, enamel wear, and more. There are several different methods that fall under this category, some as basic as brushing and flossing, and others as advanced as laser gum therapy.
Best Preventive Practices at Home
- Brushing at least twice a day not only remove food and bacteria, but it also stimulates the gums, which promotes good periodontal health.
- Flossing at least once a day is necessary to remove debris from between the teeth that brushing cannot reach.
- The regular use of mouthwash can reduce the amount of acid in the mouth, clean hard-to-reach areas, and deliver minerals to the teeth. Dr Mahi can recommend the best type to meet your unique needs.
- Hydration is the key to achieving overall optimal health. Not only does water flush out some harmful sugars and bacteria, but your body simply functions more effectively when it is properly hydrated.
- Minimize consumption of sugary and acidic foods which can weaken the enamel over time, and lead to cavities and a host of other problems.
In-Office preventative Treatments
In order to ensure optimal health, even meticulous oral hygiene needs to be combined with professional, in-office care. Exams, cleanings, and oral cancer screenings represent the most basic preventive measures.
Regular Dental Exams and Hygiene Treatments
We encourage all our patients to have regular check-ups and hygiene treatments so that any early signs of tooth decay or gum disease are recognised and treated before they seriously undermine your health. During hygiene treatments, dentist or hygienists will remove plaque and tartar from along the gum line to prevent the accumulation of harmful bacteria. The recall interval is determined by the health of your teeth and gums. As diagnosed in the first visit, you might be at mild, moderate or increased risk of dental or gum disease.
Fluoride Varnish
The professional application of concentrated fluoride varnish is very beneficial to reverse early decay, so that fillings may not be needed. This is done at your recall visit to certain areas which we have planned to monitor.
Fissure Sealants
These are special plastic protective coatings which are applied to the chewing surfaces of teeth with deep fissures. This form a hard shield that keeps food and bacteria away and thus reducing the risk of developing decay.
Home Care Products
We have a range of home care products such as tooth mousse, fluoride toothpaste, mouth washes, interdental brushing and flossing systems. We can discuss with you and recommend a home care plan that best suits your needs.
Night Guards
A large number of people clench or grind their teeth, mostly subconsciously in their sleep. This habit can cause unexplained sensitivity, headaches, tender jaw muscles, fracture and premature wear of the teeth, disorders of the jaw joint etc. We can prevent the damage caused by this habit, by constructing a custom-made night guard for your teeth. A Night Guard is a custom designed protective plastic appliance you wear over your teeth to protect them during sleep when you clench or grind unconsciously.
Custom-made Sports Mouthguards
Mouthguards are resilient appliances that provide protection for your teeth while you can enjoy playing your favourite sport safely. Dr Mahi and team can custom make them for you in a variety of materials and you can choose the colour. When playing sport, if you are hit in the mouth or jaw, a mouthguard acts as a cushion that redistributes the force of the blow, so the impact is absorbed more evenly. A mouthguard also provides a barrier between your teeth and the soft tissue in and around your mouth.
