Tooth decay is a serious oral health issue, and one that impacts smiles of all ages, from kids to adults. With family dentistry, our team can provide treatment to protect teeth from issues like tooth decay. In today’s blog, your Ankeny, IA, dentist talks about safeguarding smiles from the onset of cavities.
Your Dental Exam
A major part of our approach to family dentistry is the checkup visit. With a routine dental exam every six months, we can monitor you and your family’s smiles, watching for issues like tooth decay, periodontal disease, and other factors that could threaten your oral health. We then create a treatment plan to address these concerns and keep your smile whole and comfortable.
The Cleaning Process
In the same visit as your dental exam, our team can conduct a dental cleaning to remove all plaque and tartar from the surfaces of your teeth. Doing so helps lower the risk of tooth decay, gingivitis, and gum disease. The cleaning also helps lower the risk of bad breath and teeth stains. The procedure only takes a few minutes and we polish your teeth afterward to keep your smile bright and make it more difficult for plaque and tartar to accumulate on your smile before your next checkup and cleaning visit.
Children’s Dentistry
Our team offers checkups and cleanings for kids just like we do for adults, which helps protect them from poor oral health and allows us to instill good oral health habits too. But we also have preventive treatments just for kids that can lower the risk of tooth decay. With children’s dentistry, we can apply fluoride on the teeth during their checkups to strengthen the outer enamel and lower the risk of enamel erosion and tooth decay.
With dental sealants, our team can coat the molars in a thin acrylic layer. Since these teeth are hard for kids to reach when they brush and floss, this layer helps lower the risk of cavities. Dental sealants can also stay in place for up to ten years! Both options can be placed in seconds, and kids just need to avoid food and drink for about a half hour.
Stopping Bruxism
Bruxism refers to chronic teeth grinding, which can cause painful symptoms and damage your teeth. But with a custom oral appliance, our team can put a soft barrier between your upper and lower sets of teeth to prevent further injuries to your smile.
Dental Impressions Offers Family Dentistry
We want to help you and your family enjoy good oral health and avoid the onset of a cavity. To learn more about our general and preventive treatment options, then call Dental Impressions in Ankeny, IA today at (515) 965-0230.
