The importance of proper oral health care is finally becoming obvious to many of us today. For so long, society has regarded a trip to the dentist with anxiety, so scheduling an appointment in a dental office was done mostly when problems arose, such as toothache pain, having damaged or stained teeth, or when extractions became necessary. There’s a growing awareness of how closely oral health is associated with overall health and the need to include regular dental care and checkups routinely in our lives. In fact, dental offices can take care of your entire family from infancy to adulthood!
Promoting Proper Oral Health Care for the Entire Family
It’s well known that establishing beneficial, lasting habits requires that they be learned and taught in the earliest stages of life. The longer we wait to set up patterns and routines in our lives, the harder it becomes to maintain these habits. Dentists should advise parents to bring their children for their first visits to pediatric dental offices by the time they reach 1 year old. When following this rule, you’re not only beginning the setup of regular visits so that they become an integral part of your children’s lives, but they also learn about the necessity and purpose of regular dental appointments. The following are three more ways to incorporate proper oral health in the family cycle.
- Healthline Media advises that parents should begin carefully wiping their children’s gums with a wet soft cloth or finger brush as early as possible (at birth) to set their child up for dental success! Within 6 months after they cut their first tooth (approximately 1 year old), parents are advised to begin carefully brushing that tooth with a soft toothbrush for about 2 minutes 1 -2 times per day.
- As time goes on and more teeth grow in, eventually introduce flossing to children. Professional dentists can be an immense help in teaching children how to brush and floss correctly.
- Dentists advise that parents should know that the development of children’s mouths and jaws should be closely monitored for early detection of misalignments or other issues that may arise. Therefore, regularly scheduled dental visits are highly advised.
When following these specific guidelines, the development of three major barriers is avoided.
- Children and adults begin to see the dental office as a place where they can feel comfortable and not a place that can cause major panic to arise.
- The correct care received during younger years can likely lead to less serious problems during adulthood.
- Patients experience less stress because they’re dealing with dentists who are completely familiar with their cases, instead of strangers.
About Teeth Whitening Products and Services
We do many things throughout the years that can cause a buildup of stains on our teeth. Drinking coffee, tea, and sodas, as well as the use of tobacco, aging, and injury to our teeth, can contribute to the development of noticeable stains and we may want to do something to whiten them. What about using a tooth cleaner to clean our teeth? In the interest of saving money or skipping a visit to the dentist, people may choose to try a tooth cleaner at home.
However, there are various cleaning methods available that can be used as a tooth cleaner that may or may not be the best for someone to use. For instance, among the many tooth cleaner solutions available for home use are water flossers and electric toothbrushes that can be purchased online and may be safe to use. There are also numerous varieties of an ultrasonic tooth cleaner, but a person should be familiar with these instruments before using them.
Dentists often use a convenient and safe whitening method called the Zoom Chairside System using Nite White that produces superior teeth whitening results in the fastest time frame. With this method, impressions are made of your teeth and used to create custom-fit gel-holding trays. Patients are then fitted with these trays and sent home with the trays and the whitening gel that are part of the Nite White take-home kit. The trays with the gel will be worn during the day or night over the next 14 days.
Dentists provide the needed care to promote the best oral health, and professionals are here to educate patients on all issues pertaining to their teeth and gums. Therefore, if you feel the need to try a particular tooth cleaner solution at home, feel free to discuss it with dentists who can give the best possible advice about whether this would be helpful and, if so, the best cleaning solution to use. Also, remember that when routine scheduling of dental visits is maintained, regular dental cleaning is also done for the removal of plaque and tartar from the root surfaces of the teeth. This improves gum health by preventing cavities, gingivitis, and periodontal disease.
More Services to Know About
Although people can find any excuse or reason why they shouldn’t contact a dental office, as mentioned earlier, many of us are realizing the importance of maintaining proper oral health care for ourselves and our families. According to the research revealed by the American Dental Association Health Policy Institute, 95% of Americans believe that good oral health contributes significantly to their overall well-being. Therefore, dentists have included as many solutions as possible to make it easier for patients to decide to come to us. For instance, the following is an additional list of what many dentists offer.
- Same-day emergency care that is also available in the evenings and on weekends.
- Sponsoring seminars and other events to welcome patients (current and prospective) to familiarize them with staff and facility.
- Sedation dentistry, sleep apnea treatment, TMJ disorders, and wisdom teeth removal are some of the specialty solutions offered to remedy some of the many disruptive problems that patients face, such as extreme distress, nervousness, and pain.
Dentists are available to work on whatever the problem may be, from cleaning and whitening, to braces and alignments, to bridges and dentures. Call a specialist in your area today.