Though it’s your job to ensure your children learn how to care for their teeth, it’s your dentist’s job to ensure that your family’s dental hygiene efforts are working. As the most common chronic disease among children and adults in the United States, cavities are a frequent concern at the dentist’s office, mainly preventing them from forming. Through the use of fluoride treatments and dental sealants, Dr. Nicholas Cain can enhance your children’s ability to ward off cavities and protect the future of their smiles.
Preventing Cavities
Cavities, tooth decay, and dental caries are various names for a bacterial infection in your tooth structure. The infection occurs when your tooth’s enamel develops holes from excessive acid erosion, or the tooth is cracked and its inner tissues exposed. Preventing cavity development relies on controlling the bacteria that convert sugar and carbs into acid. Brushing and flossing at least twice every day helps eliminate plaque (the biofilm that protects bacteria) and reduce your child’s risk of bacterial infections.
What is a Dental Sealant?
The chewing surfaces of your children’s teeth, mainly the molars, can harbor bacteria in the hard-to-reach areas between the raised cusps. A dental sealant is a thin plastic coating that’s painted onto a tooth’s surface, acting as an additional layer of protection on top of the tooth’s natural enamel. Sealants are applied as a liquid and conform to the grooves of the teeth’s chewing surfaces, protecting them from accumulating bacteria and cavities.
Help Your Children Stay Cavity-Free
Dr. Cain can determine if your child requires fluoride or dental treatments during a routine dental checkup and cleaning, which you and your child should attend at least once every six months. Besides regular dental visits, be sure to teach your children to carefully brush every surface of every tooth, and to floss at least once every day, preferably before bedtime. Dr. Cain and our dedicated team of professionals can help you and your children develop more fun and effective ways to improve dental hygiene at home, as well as recommend treatments to improve your preventive dental care.
About Your Gary, IN Dentist:
As a native of northwest Indiana, Nicholas Cain, DDS, is dedicated to providing excellent general, preventive, and family dentistry services to the community that raised him. To schedule your family’s next dental appointment, call Healthy Smiles today at 219-938-2637.