If you care for your oral health and want your teeth and the gums remain strong and healthy as you grow older over time, then do ask the following questions to your dentist on your next visit.
What are the ways to make my teeth whiter?
There is simply no way to deny that a straight smile that shows clean and white teeth gives a major boost to one’s self-reliance. It is usual to experience certain discolouration and dullness of the teeth over the years. This phenomenon is common for almost everyone. The stains can either be at the superficial level – called extrinsic stains – or could be deeper down, called intrinsic or internal stains. Discolouration problem triggering from items like red wine, coffee, tobacco and pigmented foods can be sorted out either with at-home whitening products or in-chair or in-office whitening treatment at a dental practice.
What about intrinsic discolouration? How to cope with it? Modern dentistry offers options like composite bonding and veneers treatment for the affected teeth. Both these options provide longer-lasting results.
As a matter of fact the most popular dental procedure in the world is the professional, in-chair teeth whitening treatment. This procedure falls under the category of cosmetic dentistry. Teeth whitening kits that are meant to be used in home contain low dosage of bleaching agents whereas in-office or in-chair whitening occurs under careful supervision of a qualified dentist. In-office whitening makes use of high concentration bleaching gel compared to at-home kits. The in-chair or in-office procedure is obviously safer, better controlled and more risk-free. Moreover it delivers impressive results on the go unlike the at-home kits.
Ideally how often should I visit my dentist?
As dental health varies from person to person so the frequency of dental visits also varies. However adult patients are recommended to visit their dentists twice a year that is once every six months. This biannual visit is recommended even if you possess sound oral health. These routine visits will provide the chance of having your teeth professionally cleaned to keep periodontal infection far off. Moreover it will ensure early detection of any problem. As such, most grave dental conditions can be easily combated and much of those could even be reversed if detected at the initial stages.
When you have to meet your dentist every six months, obviously that cannot be considered enjoyable under normal circumstances. But those are some of the crucial appoints for you to keep. Why? The reasons can be summed up as following –
Routine dental visits prove helpful detecting any issue in the early stages. When a dental problem is detected early and necessary treatment is provided on time, the problem ceases to exist fast in majority of cases. The patient also suffers less in terms of pain and discomfort. Moreover a treatment when started early remains moderate and cannot spiral upward to make a pinch in the pocket.
What are the best oral healthy regimens at home?
The basics of oral hygiene start with proper brushing and flossing the teeth every day. Brushing twice and flossing once a day are what dentists usually recommend. But if you are serious to take your dental hygiene to the next level, then follow the tips below –
- Categorically use products that contain fluoride
- Stay away from every form of tobacco consumption
- Eat a balanced diet with fresh fruits and leafy, greenie, crunchy vegetables
- Last but nevertheless the least, seriously cut down on your sugar intake
How dental x-rays are helpful?
Usually dentists take a full set of dental x-rays for new patients. This is a good and commendable strategy. The x-rays help examining the hidden areas of your mouth better in one hand while on the other facilitates comparison to identify the changes that may have occurred between your visits. Adult patients usually have bitewing x-ray every year. A full mouth series is taken every 4 to 5 years. But people who are at higher risk of suffering from tooth decay need having an X-ray done every 6 to 18 months.
Dental x-rays are a common procedure meant for right diagnosis. The procedure is one of the safest in the entire medical industry. Digital dental x-rays are safe because of very low doses of radiation. It produces just a fraction of radiation that you are exposed to in any other imaging procedure. If you are worried about whether you need to undergo a dental x-ray, let that be decided by your dentist. If you wonder whether it is right for you to undergo the x-ray because of any other medical ground, we suggest you dive little deeper into the topic of dental x-ray – why and how those are performed – to decide on your own.
If necessary safety equations are followed while performing these x-rays, there exists a very little health concern. On the other hand a routine diagnosis with four bitewing x-ray exposes you to about the same quantity of radiation during one to two hours of a flight journey.
How to prevent disease and decay of the tooth and gingivitis?
If you want your mouth to be free from diseases, follow a balanced diet and visit your dentist at routine intervals. In addition to that maintain your oral hygiene routine twice a day. Remember health conditions like HIV, AIDS, blood sugar and others can negatively affect your oral health. Even certain medications and chemotherapy procedures are harmful for your dental health and wellbeing.
Focus on the following to keep your teeth and the gums strong and healthy –
- Brush the teeth twice a day – proper brushing of the teeth is helpful to clear away plaque build-up in the teeth. Plaques are responsible for both tooth decay and gum disease.
- Make use of antibacterial mouthwash – a smile makeover London emphasises on regular use of antibacterial mouthwash to control the level of harmful bacteria in the mouth.
- Floss the teeth once every day – proper flossing keeps away cavities and periodontal diseases in the mouth.
In addition to the tips mentioned above make sure your teeth are regularly reinforced with fluoride. Use fluoridated water, fluoride treatment and fluoride toothpaste to ensure the enamel covering of the teeth does not become susceptible to wear and tear. Fluoride products are helpful preventing cavities and gum disease.
