Care & Tips

Preventive Care
Preventive care includes not only daily hygiene and regular dental cleanings but also knowing and correcting any causes of oral disease.

Daily Hygiene
Flossing & brushing are the most important components of daily hygiene. Brushing should be done after every meal, whether it be at the office, house, school, etc. Flossing should be done at least once a day, preferably at night. Always floss first, then brush. Take as much time for each as needed in order to do a thorough job.

Toothbrush
The correct shape for a toothbrush is the classic one, which means it has short and flat bristles. Do not go for the ones with a diamond, oval, or any other odd shape. Keep it simple: short and flat. The bristles should be hard or medium. If your gums are very sensitive, you may use a brush with soft bristles.

Toothpaste
The ones with fluoride and sodium bicarbonate are the best for your natural and artificial teeth. We recommend Dental Care by Arm & Hammer.

Dental Floss
There are different types of dental floss: waxed, unwaxed, round, flat, and with or without flavor. Our advice is to use waxed, flat (ribbon like), and unflavored in order to avoid added chemicals, which only provide color and flavor to the dental floss.

Regular Dental Cleanings
Once an oral treatment has been completed, it is important to visit our office every six months. During these regular visits, we can perform a check up that includes ultrasonic cleaning, visual inspection of every tooth, crown or filling as well as check current soft tissues conditions. X-rays should be taken on an annual basis.

Identification & Correction
We try to take every factor into account that may cause oral problems in the future. We discover and point out to you any conditions that may cause future problems, and offer you methods to prevent these problems. An example of this is a missing tooth that has not been replaced. This could cause your remaining teeth to shift into abnormal positions, causing decay, periodontal disease, and TMJ dysfunction. Another example is a tooth with a non-symptomatic fracture in it. This may eventually cause the tooth to split in half, causing pain, and requiring root canal treatment or an extraction. There are many other dental findings that could be treated in a preventive manner. We will tell you about these findings, so you can decide if you want to have the preventive treatment done.

Disease Control
We promise to guide you in your efforts to maintain a healthy mouth throughout your life. While is it possible for dental professionals to correct most problems of the teeth and gums, it is not possible for us to prevent gum disease and tooth decay from causing problems in the future. You are the only one who can keep your mouth healthy. This will require diligent daily care on your part, and regularly scheduled maintenance appointments.