Archived Newsletter, First Ran 1/27/2012

Maintain Your Smile for A Lifetime

A beautiful smile is a healthy smile. Regular cleanings and checkups with your dentist will help you maintain your pearly whites. Your dentist and hygienist will check your gums, making sure they are healthy. Gingivitis, common condition in which the gums bleed easily, appears when oral hygiene is not adequate. Healthy gums do not bleed when touched or brushed and flossed. Our professional dental team can show you missed areas and better techniques for cleaning your teeth. The good news is gingivitis is reversible.  However, left untreated, gingivitis can progress to periodontal disease.  Periodontal disease is not reversible, and results in the loss of bone that holds your teeth in place.  While it is not reversible, regular maintenance visits will help control this disease.  
 

Seeing your dentist on a regular basis also helps the doctor find cavities.  Most people never feel pain or sensitivity if they have a cavity, even when they have large one.  This is why seeing your dentist is a must. Small cavities can often be fixed with just a filling.  Waiting until something hurts will result in far more extensive and expensive treatment. Usually a large cavity that hurts means that the decay has moved into the nerve of the tooth. Ouch! We want to help you avoid that!
 

Lastly, regular checkups give your doctor the opportunity to recommend things that prevent further problems, such as sealants, fluoride treatments, special toothpastes, and mouth rinses. All these products are designed to help you avoid dental treatment. As always, our goal at Gentle Hands Dentistry is to help you achieve a beautiful smile, and keep it for lifetime!