Saving Your Smile for the Long Term

Is your oral hygiene routine as effective as it should be? By visiting our dental office once every six months, we can check for plaque and tartar that you might not have been able to remove on your own. We’ll also have the chance to identify cavities and gum disease long before they become a serious threat to your oral health; we can make treatment recommendations based on what we find, and we’ll make sure you walk out of our dental office with a refreshed, clean smile.

While smoking and alcohol put you at a higher risk of oral cancer, the warning signs can still appear in patients who don’t have any risk factors at all. That is why oral cancer screenings are routine part of every regular checkup. Using a special device, we can highlight the tissues in your mouth in order to detect possible symptoms of oral cancer such as discolored patches and unusual lumps. Finding these symptoms as early as possible means that you can consult a dedicated physician for treatment all the sooner.

The molars and premolars are some of the most vulnerable teeth in the mouth – especially for children who are still learning how to brush and floss well. A small amount of composite resin can be used to seal off the deep pits and cracks usually found in the teeth near the back of your mouth. Resin applied this way is called a dental sealant, and it helps protect the teeth from harmful bacteria for up to a decade. Sealants are often recommended for younger patients, but they’re also helpful for anyone at a higher risk for tooth decay due to their family history.

To keep the teeth safe between appointments, we often recommend fluoride treatments for patients who are 18 years old or younger. Even though fluoride is already found in toothpaste, public drink water, and certain mouthwashes, the fluoride we provide greatly helps strengthen the teeth to increase their resistance to decay. The process only takes a few minutes, but the results are long-lasting; in fact, your child should enjoy the benefits well until their next appointment in six months.

It’s important to stay active, but that doesn’t mean you should be putting your teeth and gums at unnecessary risk. If you’re involved with any kind of sport where there’s a high risk of some kind of impact (such as football or soccer), you should always wear a mouthguard when you head out on to the field. Our mouthguards are much more comfortable than the kind you’ll find at the store, and they also offer much better protection, helping to ensure your winning smile will stay safe for many years.

Bruxism is a condition where you grind and clench your teeth at night, and you’re more likely to experience it than you think. Do you find yourself waking up with headaches, or are your teeth more sensitive than they used to be? These could both be signs of bruxism. We might also find that the enamel protecting your teeth is eroding at an alarmingly fast rate. To avoid the long-term consequences of bruxism, we can give you a customized nightguard that you can wear every night.

As a parent, you’ll find few things more precious than your child’s smile. If you want it to last them well into adulthood, you need to make sure that oral care is a priority from the very earliest stages of their lives. At our dental office, we do everything we can to help children relax during their visits (especially if they happen to be suffering from dental anxieties), and we’ll help them learn the best techniques for brushing and flossing. We can also make sure parents know the proper strategies for maintaining excellent oral health over the long term.

Is your bathroom cabinet stocked with the right oral care products? Choosing the best ones can be tricky, but our experts at Havasu Dentistry are happy to recommend various products that can keep your smile safe while also accommodating for your specific needs. For example, we often recommend Crest toothpaste for giving yourself the best protection against the bacteria that cause cavities. If you are suffering from sensitive teeth, we suggest trying Sensodyne. And for those who have trouble using traditional floss, you might want to try a Waterpik to clean between the teeth.