Keeping your teeth and gums in good condition is essential for your overall wellbeing.

Have you considered your oral health recently? We are already halfway through the year, which makes it the perfect time to reassess your wellness goals and make sure that your teeth and gums are in good shape. Here’s what you can do to take care of your oral health.

Have a dental check-up and clean

One of the best ways to prevent oral health issues from becoming serious problems is to have regular dental check-ups and cleans. We recommend that you come in and see us every six months so that we can monitor your oral health and provide any treatment that you might need as early as possible. During your check-up, your dentist will check for any abnormalities, diagnose any issues, and recommend the best course of treatment for your needs.

Address bad breath

If you have noticed that your breath is not as fresh as it could be, it is worth coming in to see us so that your dentist can determine the cause of the issue. Some of the most common causes of bad breath include poor oral hygiene; dentures that are not properly cleaned; certain foods, like onions and garlic; smoking; oral infections; and a dry mouth. The best way to keep your breath fresh is to follow good oral hygiene habits by brushing and flossing regularly. It’s also a good idea to clean your tongue in order to remove any bacteria that has accumulated. If this doesn’t help, you might have an underlying condition, in which case treatment may be required.

Go for an oral cancer screening

It is possible to have an oral cancer screening as part of your regular dental check-up. During the screening, your dentist will examine your mouth to look for any abnormalities. At our practice, we use a wireless, handheld scope that uses natural tissue fluorescence to allow your dentist to see oral abnormalities that are not visible to the naked eye. The screening usually only takes around two minutes to complete. As with all forms of cancer, the sooner oral cancer is identified, the greater the chance that treatment will be successful. For this reason, we encourage you to have a screening at each of your six-monthly check-ups.

Deal with dental decay

If you are suffering from dental decay, it’s best that you don’t ignore the problem. We offer tooth-coloured fillings, which are strong and durable and blend in well with your teeth. Your dentist may recommend a filling for the treatment of tooth decay or small holes, as well as fractured teeth or discolouration that has occurred as a result of certain foods and drinks or teeth grinding. It is also possible to treat dental decay with the use of inlays or onlays. Your dentist may recommend this if you have a particularly large cavity. Inlays and onlays can be made from either silver or tooth-coloured resin.

Bring in the kids

Taking care of your children’s teeth from an early age is an important part of keeping their oral health on track in the long term. At our practise, we want to help children feel good about visiting the dentist, and we love to teach our little patients how to care for their teeth. We recommend that you bring your child in to see us soon after the eruption of their first tooth, which could be anytime between six months and a year old. The earlier your child is introduced to the dentist, the quicker they will realise that there is nothing to fear, and regular check-ups will simply become a routine event for the whole family. Are you ready to make an appointment? Please don’t hesitate to get in touch.