What does preventive dentistry care include?
Preventive dentistry emphasizes taking smart steps now to avoid serious oral health issues later. Your preventive dentistry care at Zam Dental may be a little different at each age and stage of your life, and it can also vary according to your medical history.
Some common preventive dentistry measures for everyone to practice at home include brushing and flossing your teeth twice a day.
The American Dental Association also recommends some simple lifestyle changes that may help you prevent tooth decay, gum disease, and other oral health issues. These changes include:
- Eating a healthy, low-sugar diet
- Drinking fluoridated water
- Avoiding all tobacco use
- Avoiding oral piercings (such as lips, tongue, gums)
The Zam Dental team also provides other elements of preventive dentistry, such as oral cancer screenings to check your mouth for lumps, bumps, slow-healing wounds, and other potential signs of cancer. Children may need dental sealants, which place a thin layer on top of molars to protect them from decay, or topical fluoride, which helps discourage tooth decay.
What does general dentistry include?
General dentistry includes all kinds of dental care. Regular check-ups are the cornerstone of general dentistry care. Typically, Zam Dental recommends check-ups every six months. But, if you’ve had serious tooth decay, gum disease, or other kinds of oral health problems in the past, you could need check-ups more often.
Dental cleanings are important both as a general dentistry treatment and as a preventive dentistry treatment. The Zam Dental team typically recommends dental cleanings every six months because a professional cleaning removes the biofilm that leads to tooth cavities and tissue infections.
If your Zam Dental provider discovers any kind of problem during your check-up or cleaning, you can get immediate care. You may need a filling to restore a tooth if you have a cavity, or a deep dental cleaning called scaling and root planing if you have gum disease.
What other dentistry services are available?
Zam Dental offers a variety of dental services to complement its general and preventive dentistry offerings. Cosmetic dentistry services include veneers and teeth whitening, and restorative dentistry services include crowns, bridges, and dental implants.
The Zam Dental team even offers oral appliances for obstructive sleep apnea and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunction.
Book your appointment for general and preventive dentistry in San Antonio by calling the Zam Dental team or booking online now.
