Dental Treatments That Help Prevent Cavities
Most people think of the dentist's office as a place they go when they have a cavity or another problem with their teeth. However, dentists also offer preventative dental care. Beyond basic dental cleaning services, there are preventative care services you should talk to your dentist about if you're interested in reducing your risk of cavities and decay as time goes on.
Fluoride Treatments
Fluoride is a mineral that your teeth need to build and maintain healthy enamel. (Your enamel is the strong outer covering on your teeth.) Most water supplies are fortified with fluoride, and most toothpaste contains fluoride. However, if you do not drink a lot of tap water, or if you rinse your mouth after using toothpaste, you may still not be getting enough fluoride for strong tooth enamel. Your dentist can administer what is known as fluoride treatment. Basically, a strong fluoride solution will be painted onto your teeth and left to sit for a period of time. You will then rinse your mouth out. Most people only need a couple of fluoride treatments, in total, to strengthen and protect their enamel.
Sealants
One of the most common places to get cavities is in your back molars. These molars tend to have deep grooves where food can get caught. Once this food starts to decay, levels of oral bacteria will rise, and cavities start to develop. Sealants are a treatment that can help prevent cavities in your molars. They're basically little pieces of plastic that fill in the grooves in your molars so that food and bacteria cannot get in there. Sealants start as a liquid. Your dentist paints the liquid on, and it hardens. Sealants stay in place for a few years, and when they fall out, you can easily have them replaced.
Root Planing and Scaling
Root planing and scaling is a more in-depth cleaning treatment that you can have at your dentist's office. It focuses on cleaning the part of your tooth that is just below the gum line. Your dentist will numb the area before working on it so that this is not painful. Root planing and scaling helps keep your gums healthy since it eliminates bacteria from around your gums, and healthy gums lead to healthier teeth with fewer cavities.
The dental treatments above will help prevent you from developing cavities as you age. Talk to an adult dentist to learn more about each treatment.