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By practicing good oral hygiene at home and visiting your dentist regularly, you help to prevent dental problems and save time and money. In the process, you can save your teeth and gums from damage. If you don't take care of your teeth and properly manage your oral health, you may find yourself spending thousands of dollars in restorative dental care. Preventative dentistry emphasizes the importance of ongoing hygiene procedures and daily practices to prevent tooth decay and other dental diseases and conditions. The Basics of Brushing Brushing is one of the most effective methods for removing harmful plaque from your teeth and gums. By removing the debris off your teeth and gums in a timely manner, you will be able to prevent bacteria in the food that you eat from turning into harmful, cavity causing acids. Most dentists agree that brushing two times a day is the minimum and if you use fluoride toothpaste in the morning and before bed at night time, you can get away without using toothpaste during the middle of the day. Place your toothbrush beside your teeth at a 45-degree angle and gently brush teeth in an elliptical motion. Brush the outside of your teeth, inside the teeth, your tongue, chewing surfaces and between your teeth. Using back and forth motions causes the gum surface to recede, and can expose the root surface or make the root surface tender, risking the wearing down the gum line. Effective brushing typically takes approximately three minutes. What is the PerioProtect Program? The PerioProtect Program uses an FDA cleared medical device called a Perio Tray that is custom made for your mouth. The Perio Tray has a special patented seal that holds medications in the periodontal pocket for enough time to kill the bacteria causing the disease. When you consider treatment options, you should know that PerioProtect is a non-invasive, at-home treatment that effectively delivers anti-microbial medication around the teeth and below the gum line to kill the bacteria causing the disease. For those who require scaling and root planing procedures, PerioProtect also provides a long-term homecare maintenance program to manage the disease. The trays are comfortable, and the treatment regimen is easy to follow. Your dentist will instruct you on how often and how long you should wear the Perio Trays for, which usually takes just minutes a day. The Consequences of Poor Oral Hygiene Poor oral hygiene invites plaque - bacteria laden film that will cause tooth decay and gum disease - to accumulate around the base of your teeth and gum line, causing your gums to become red and inflamed. If you neglect the care your teeth at home and fail to go to the dentist regularly, accumulated plaque could potentially lead to the development of empty spaces around your teeth. These spaces could eventually lead to the destruction of bone and other fragile tissues supporting your teeth, and you could lose your teeth. The good news is that being diligent about your dental health care and getting regular dental checkups can prevent plaque from forming and even reverse early gum disease. A plaque free mouth is a healthy mouth with proper brushing and flossing being the only effective ways of preventing plaque buildup in addition to regular dental cleanings. Make an appointment with your dentist in Queens every six months for proper care, in addition to daily brushing and flossing. Your dentist will be able to put together an appropriate dental hygiene plan to help keep you smiling longer.
Dr. Vasiliki Mavromatis, dentist in Bayside, NY, attended New York University College of Dentistry. She completed her residency in Bellevue Hospital Center and The Veterans Administration Medical Center in General Anesthesia. Dr. Mavromatis provides patients with superior care in various areas including Invisalign, CEREC and teeth whitening in Bayside, NY.
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