Good oral health is more than brushing your teeth. For your oral hygiene to be at its best, see Dr. Michael Karleskint at Howe Family Dentistry in Howe, TX, a family dentistry practice you can trust that offers preventive care for every member of your family.
Early Prevention Is Important
When you don't take proper care of your teeth or adequately manage your oral health, it can end up costing you thousands of dollars for restorative dental care. However, when you practice preventive dentistry, you can prevent being subject to such high dental costs.
Preventive care entails ongoing professional cleanings by a dental professional and management of any developing conditions. This care enables your family dentistry expert of Howe, TX, Dr. Karleskint, to detect dental disease in its early stages, protecting your smile and lowering costs.
Preventive Dentistry in Children
Good oral hygiene habits begin with your child's first tooth. Therefore, you will want your child to see a dentist no later than 12 months of age to get a dental care plan in place.
Some other critical oral care tips for your children include:
- Don't put your child to bed with a bottle or sippy cup.
- Don't allow the child to walk around with a bottle or sippy cup unless filled with water.
- Allow milk and juice only sparingly to avoid cavities.
Strategies of Preventive Dentistry
There are some great and easy-to-follow preventive oral care strategies available to adults and children. These include:
- At-home oral care: Brushing and flossing at least twice a day to remove plaque is a critical step in preventing dental issues.
- Fluoride use: Undergoing fluoride treatments either in-office or using fluoride toothpaste helps strengthen your teeth and prevent decay.
- Balanced diet: When your diet has an excess of sugars and carbohydrates, it feeds the bacteria in your mouth, leading to a build-up of plaque. Furthermore, low calcium diets also increase your risk of developing gum disease and jaw bone deterioration.
- Regular dental visits: Many dental problems present without symptoms initially. So, you need a dental professional to detect problems before they can cause damage. During these visits, the dentist also screens for oral cancer and assesses oral growth and development in children.
- Dental cleanings and screenings: Dental cleanings are recommended every six months to remove plaque and stains while screening for tooth decay.
Other aspects of preventive care include X-rays, mouth guards, orthodontics, sealants, and education.
With preventive dentistry, you experience less intensive and less expensive treatment for your dental conditions. Call today and set an appointment with the well-known family dentistry of Howe Family Dentistry in Howe, TX, Dr. Karleskint today at (903) 532-5545.