Preventive dentistry aims to protect teeth, prevent future disease, and avoid misalignment of teeth. Preventive Dentistry should begin as early as intra-uterine (during pregnancy), continue through childhood and become habitual throughout adulthood.
Intra-uterine preventive dentistry:
- For the fetus:
- Teeth start their development between the third and sixth months of pregnancy.
- The mother should avoid any medications that might affect the primary teeth development, calcium deposition or discoloration.
- The mother's diet should be monitored during the nine months of pregnancy, as it affects the development of her unborn child (including teeth development).
- For the mother:
- Mothers may be inclined to snack between meals. Such practice should be controlled as it may cause tooth decay.
- Gum inflammation may occur during pregnancy due to the increased progesterone levels. This condition is called (Pregnancy Gingivitis) and will most likely fade following delivery. However, to avoid complications, dental care is a must.
Childhood preventive dentistry
Primary (baby) teeth begin to erupt within six months to a year of birth. Those teeth are as important as permanent (adult) teeth, as they:
-Help children chew, speak and have a good-looking smile.
-Hold space in the jaws for permanent teeth, which are developing under the gums. Subsequently, a premature loss of baby teeth will result in crowded teeth and affect permanent teeth’s ability to erupt.
-Aid in development of face and jaw bones.
Maintaining regular visits to the dentist especially at a young age helps in keeping track of teeth development and monitoring their health. In addition, the dentist can demonstrate how to properly clean baby teeth, and how to stop children from practicing bad habits such as thumb-sucking, mouth-breathing and teeth-grinding.
Decay prevention
- Baby Bottle Decay: A fast destructive decay which occurs in baby front teeth, caused when sweetened liquids are regularly given through the bottle and are left unclean for extended periods of time.
Tips for prevention:
-After each feeding, clean the baby's gums with clean wetted gauze.
-Start brushing teeth as soon as the first tooth erupts.
-Never allow your child to sleep with a bottle containing milk.
-If your child needs a comforter, give him a clean pacifier (not sugary).
-If the local water supply does not contain enough fluoride, ask Bloom Dent for alternative ways to introduce it into the child's life.
- Common Decay: A slowly progressing decay which occurs when bacteria act on retained food, producing acid which damages the outer layers of teeth.
Tips for prevention:
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- Bloom Dent staff can apply sealants to surfaces of back teeth, which act as a barrier and protect the entire tooth from acids.
- Follow Bloom Dent Tips for Proper Mouth Cleaning. (Hyperlink)
- Visit Bloom Dent regularly, with a minimum of one visit every six months.
- Avoid dental psychological trauma to allow proper follow-up and treatment (especially with children).
- Bloom Dent provides pastes containing calcium and fluoride, to prevent caries occurring in present teeth and allow proper development of erupting teeth.
Badly aligned (Crowded) teeth prevention
- Tips for prevention:
-Avoid early loss of primary teeth, which, upon occurrence, should be followed by inserting a space maintainer.
-Avoid thumb-sucking, which may cause problems with jaw-bones growth and alignment of the teeth.
-Bloom Dent provides trainers, which are pre-orthodontic appliances made of rubber (colored or transparent). They apply constant pressure to the child's bone, stimulating the bone to grow, thus guiding it to a normal growth pattern. Pre-orthodontic appliances may also help in:
-Directing the teeth to a normal alignment thus eliminating or decreasing teeth overlaps.
-Eliminating bad habits, such as mouth-breathing and teeth-grinding.
-Preventing caries and strengthening tooth structure.
Gum disease prevention
Oral bacteria, together with food particles, form a sticky substance on teeth surfaces called plaque. If plaque is left un-cleaned, it hardens and forms a white coating called calculus (tartar), which later on becomes darker in color. It is impossible to remove calculus with normal brushing thus bacteria will proliferate in calculus, secreting toxins and waste products which irritate, inflame and damage your gum.Regular appointments every 6 months for dental care allow Bloom Dent to remove all soft food deposits and hard calculus from your teeth by using Ultrasonic Vibrating Tools. This procedure is painless and requires no injections.
