Taking proactive measures to keep your teeth and gums healthy is the cornerstone of good oral health. While our dentists are dedicated to helping you when you have a dental problem, ideally we want to help you avoid issues before they start.
Samuel Sigmon, DDS, and the team at Full Circle Dental Care want patients to know the importance of preventive care. Scheduling and attending twice-a-year checkups where you have cleanings and routine screenings is the best way to head off potential problems and keep your oral health in tip-top shape.
If you find yourself with a toothache that just won’t go away, you’re likely to call us to schedule an appointment. A toothache is a common sign of infection, often due to dental decay. We can promptly perform an exam, diagnose the problem, and execute a treatment plan to restore your oral health.
If you’re engaging in preventive care, however, you can often avoid problems such as these. It’s true that sometimes problems like dental infections may still occur, but it’s much less likely.
Therein lies the benefit of preventive dental care. When you’re taking proactive steps like getting regular checkups, our dentist has the opportunity to check for subtle signs of trouble and act quickly before a problem starts.
The following are some of the key goals and benefits of preventive dental care.
Your mouth is home to millions of bacteria. Some of them are fighting the good fight by keeping harmful bacteria in check. Others are feeding on the food particles in your mouth and secreting substances that damage your teeth and threaten your oral health.
Cavities are among the most common dental problems, and they can quickly progress when left unchecked. By visiting us for preventive care like regular and deep cleanings, you reduce the risk of developing cavities.
Advanced tooth decay occurs when cavities that may have started out small, grow large. When cavities are too large to fill, our dentist may recommend root canal treatment.
Preventive care is designed to catch problems like cavities well before they progress to advanced tooth decay. Patients who keep up with their preventive care are less likely to need extensive decay-related dental work like root canals.
Like cavities, gum disease tops the list of common dental issues. A gum infection rarely causes noticeable symptoms in the early stages. That’s why it’s important to see your dentist for regular checkups. Once gum disease sets in, you run the risk of losing a tooth. If left unchecked, gum disease can even threaten jawbone tissue.
Our dentists take preventive care measures to treat existing problems now so that they don’t become even bigger problems later.
We can spot dental issues you may not even know you have, such as nighttime teeth grinding (bruxism) and recommend a custom mouthguard. Many people are unaware that they grind their teeth during sleep. To make a diagnosis, we look for signs like shortened teeth and teeth with uneven edges, and we examine images of your teeth.
Oral cancer screenings to check for signs of oral cancer are part of your regular dental checkup. We examine your gums, lips, and the inside of your mouth for unusual signs that may point to oral cancer. Detecting oral cancer early increases the chances of successful treatment.
Take a step in the right direction toward maintaining your oral health. To get started, call our office in Del City, Oklahoma, or book online to schedule a consultation with Dr. Sigmon today.
