When’s the last time you had a checkup and teeth cleaning near Joliet? If you’re like a lot of Americans you’ve probably gone in at least once in the past few years for a physical. It’s a good idea for your doctor to have a continual record of your health so that when something goes wrong they can compare you to a healthy baseline.
For a lot of patients at Shorewood Family Dental Care, the dentist is a different story. It isn’t uncommon for us to only see some patients when they have a dental emergency and never for preventive dental care. That isn’t a good thing, especially considering how fast dental health problems can develop! In just a matter of months you could develop a cavity or the beginning stages of gum disease – both of which can be prevented with regular dental cleanings and care!
What Is Preventive Dentistry?
Just like the yearly physical, preventive dentistry is the stuff you do to ward off possible harm. Our teeth cleaning, fluoride treatments, and dental sealants are just a few of the procedures we use to prevent dental health problems. When you’re ready to find the perfect dentist for your next teeth cleaning bear Joliet, come to Shorewood Family Dental Care. When you receive a regular exam at our dental office, you’ll get the works, because we want you to keep your teeth a lifetime!
Dental Cleanings And Exams
The overwhelming majority of dental health issues are caused by plaque bacteria. Plaque is that sticky white stuff that forms on your teeth – it’s pretty much all bacteria and a lot of that bacteria metabolizes sugar into acid that eat away at your enamel. That same bacteria also likes to get between your gums and teeth and cause gum disease. Both conditions are preventable with our regular cleanings!
Teeth cleaning consists of several steps, each designed to get rid of stubborn bacteria and protect your teeth for the six months between appointments. We use specially designed tools to clean all the surfaces of your teeth – even those you can’t get to with regular brushing and flossing. We also polish your teeth to eliminate uneven surfaces that bacteria can cling to! You’ll leave our Shorewood dentist office feeling fresh, clean, and ready to keep your teeth healthy until the next time we see you!
Our exams are also critical to maintaining a healthy mouth. Using digital X-rays and other imaging techniques we can get an incredibly detailed look at your teeth. We’ll be able to see every possible cavity, problems below the gumline, and other potential issues that may be invisible to the naked eye but still treatable! Exams also allow us to develop a history of your dental health so that we can better detect every small change over time.
Dental Sealants
One of the treatments we commonly use for younger patients (and adults as needed) is dental sealants. You know those deep grooves on the chewing surfaces of your teeth? They’re one of the most common spots for bacteria to accumulate. When it gets into those areas it’s nearly impossible to clean out at home, making the chewing surfaces of your molars and premolars a common location for cavities!
Sealants are made of tooth-colored plastic that’s placed on those surfaces. By sealing them away we prevent cavities from forming at all! Sealants are effective, cheap, and only take a couple minutes to apply during a regular cleaning.
Fluoride Treatments
Fluoride is a naturally occurring element that has the amazing ability to regrow lost tooth enamel. We use fluoride during your dental exam to help rebuild lost enamel and protect your teeth from future harm. If you’re worried about that nasty fluoride gel you’ve had in the past you can rest easy – we use fluoride varnish that’s just brushed on your teeth! It’s invisible and lasts longer, allowing the fluoride to give you even better results. And most importantly, yes, fluoride is safe!
Teeth Cleaning Near Joliet for Preventive Dental Care!
By combining our regular appointments with good home care you may never need to have complicated, expensive dental procedures. We want your teeth to be something you keep for life and we’d love to team up with you to make that happen!
If you’re ready to experience all that Shorewood Family Dental Care can do for your whole family don’t wait another day. Protect your teeth by calling us at 815-725-5991! You can also request an appointment with us by filling out our online appointment form. We look forward to seeing you soon as your Joliet family dentist!
