Discover Dental Care

There are two major components in a good dental hygiene regimen. The parts performed at home every day, and the regularly scheduled preventative visits to a dentist's office.

Tooth Care at Home
The most obvious portion of home dental care is brushing. Everybody knows to brush their teeth, but many people fail to perform this task properly. Brushing should occur after each meal or at least three times a day. Brushing at night before bed is especially important since germs can fester freely if given a chance. During brushing, the gums, the roof of the mouth, and the tongue should all be included to knock out all the places where bacteria grow.

Flossing at least once per day is also essential to ensure that all food particles are cleaned from between teeth. Flossing should be performed before brushing so that the food particles are not simply moved from one part of the mouth to another, but are completely expelled from the oral cavity. A final rinse with a fluoride and germ fighting mouthwash will help eliminate any bacteria that were missed, and help strengthen dental enamel.

Oral Exam
At the semi-annual dentist visit, the oral hygienist inspects every tooth for loose or damaged fillings and built up calculus (tartar or plaque) deposits. The hygienist uses a variety of tools for testing and removing the calculus build up. They typically follow up with a good polishing and stern instructions on how to perform part A of the dental hygiene plan enumerated above.

If you have neglected part B in the dental hygiene routine for some time, and need a dentist in the Shawnee area, contact Dr. Castaneda, who specializes is sedation dentistry, today to schedule an appointment for a comprehensive oral exam.