Posted

As the name suggests, the point of preventive dental care is to help you avoid serious trouble with your oral health. However, that generalization doesn’t always highlight just how important the success of your preventive oral health care routine really is. Today, we examine what, exactly, you might be able to avoid with a consistent and effective preventive care routine, and why it’s important to your long-term oral health.

The need for more extensive treatment

Though it’s also generalized, the most notable thing preventive dental care helps you avoid is the need for more extensive dental treatment. Preventive dental care is something everyone needs, even if their smiles are healthy and free of disease. These visits include professionally cleaning your teeth and checking for signs of any trouble that may be developing. However, when a problem does develop, it can take more than professionally cleaning your teeth to address it. Conditions such as tooth decay, gum disease, excessive wear on your tooth structure, and more can grow increasingly worse once they develop, and addressing them can require more comprehensive, personalized dental treatment.

The risks of developing bite problems

Some of the problems that you can prevent with proper care and maintenance are common conditions that develop from the presence of excess oral bacteria on your teeth and/or gums. This is why professionally cleaning your teeth routinely is so important to preventing them. However, some issues can develop as a result of things other than the quality of your dental hygiene and teeth-cleaning efforts. Problems with your bite function, for example, might result from underlying conditions with your teeth and/or oral structures. When you stick to a consistent schedule of preventive dental exams, your dentist is more likely to address these conditions and help you prevent or minimize the development of any bite problems, such as bruxism and TMJ disorder.

The chances of losing one or more teeth

The ultimate goal in your preventive dental efforts is to preserve your healthy, natural smile. To a large degree, this means helping you preserve all of your healthy, natural teeth by avoiding or addressing the things that could lead to tooth loss. This includes the progression of severe gum disease, or periodontitis, which is the most common reason why adults experience tooth loss. It can also include bite problems and concerns with your tooth structure that could raise your risks of losing one or more teeth.

Learn more about preserving your healthy smile

Preventive dental care can significantly boost your chances of avoiding many of the more serious types of oral health concerns. To learn more, or to schedule a consultation, call Cedar Dental in Cedar Rapids, IA, today at (319) 364-7108.