Is it important to schedule regular checkups with our dentist in San Diego? Your preventative dentistry routine usually consists of a visit every six months. And if you have dental insurance, most preventative visits are completely covered (because they help prevent the onset of oral disease.)
At Altrock Fabb Dental, we stress the importance of preventative dentistry when it comes to prolonged tooth retention and oral health. After all, most major dental issues are avoidable if you have a good preventative care strategy in place.
What Is Preventative Dentistry?
Some of the preventative dentistry in Pacific Beach that we offer include services like:
Dental Exams: Periodic dental exams allow our San Diego dentists to quickly identify changes in your oral health. These intermittent evaluations help pinpoint possible concerns while they are still reversible (with good oral hygiene and fluoride) or treat them when they’re smaller and less invasive to your tooth.
Prophylactic Cleanings: Healthy mouth cleanings are important to prevent major tartar buildup and bone loss around the roots of your teeth. After all, periodontal disease is the leading cause of adult tooth loss in San Diego and worldwide. Professional cleanings remove buildup that you missed between checkups, giving you a blank slate to work with once you get back home.
Oral Cancer Screenings: Oral cancer can affect anyone, including healthy individuals. Risk factors range from sun exposure and the HPV virus to tobacco or alcohol use. It can be extremely deadly if it’s not identified early, which is why Altrock Fabb Dental routinely screens for the disease during every preventative care visit.
Periodontal Evaluations: Gum disease causes soft tissues to detach from teeth, resulting in pocket formation around the root, as well as loss of bone support. By screening for early symptoms of periodontal infection, our San Diego dentists can intercept this disease before it jeopardizes the integrity of your entire smile.
Fluoride Treatments: Did you know that the earliest stage of cavities—called demineralization—can be reversed when concentrated fluoride is applied to those surfaces? Professional strength fluoride helps strengthen tooth enamel to make it more resistant to acids, bacteria, decay, and sensitivity.
Dental Sealants: Protective dental sealants work well to lower cavity rates when placed into the deep grooves on the chewing surfaces of back teeth. No numbing is needed. Sealants are typically recommended soon after those teeth erupt or if older sealants come off the tooth.
Oral Hygiene Education: Your daily brushing and flossing routine is an integral part of your preventative dentistry strategy. Without it, gum disease and cavities are inevitable! Our hygienists will work with you to develop a personalized routine to effectively clean your teeth and gum tissues every day.
Benefits of Preventative Dentistry
Preventative dental treatments help you reduce your risk of tooth decay, periodontal disease, and tooth loss. By thoroughly cleaning and examining your teeth at regular checkups, our San Diego dentists can help you intercept issues when they’re easier to reverse or simpler to treat. Not only is this less invasive to your smile, but it’s also better on your budget.
With the right preventative dentistry and home care routine, you can keep your teeth healthy for a lifetime.
Although many people don’t think about their overall health, your wellness is another important benefit of preventative dentistry. After all, chronic oral disease is proven to increase your risk and severity of conditions like:
- Pneumonia
- Heart attack, high blood pressure, and heart disease
- Stroke
- Diabetes/uncontrolled blood glucose levels
- Infertility, erectile dysfunction, low sperm count, pre-eclampsia
Because oral bacteria can transfer into your bloodstream through infected gum tissues, the benefits of preventative dentistry are further reaching than you may have realized. Professional cleanings help manage plaque levels to keep gum tissues healthy, reducing the spread of biofilm into your bloodstream.
Preventative Dentistry in Pacific Beach
The importance of preventative dentistry is priceless. To keep your smile healthy, it’s best that you reserve preventative dental treatments every six months. At Altrock Fabb Dental, we’re your partner in oral health, utilizing preventative strategies to keep your smile healthy for a lifetime.
Contact our office in San Diego today to reserve your next checkup.
