Our staff at Frontier Family Dental strives to provide the best dental care possible. We understand just how important a great-looking smile is not only to the health of our patients' teeth and gums, but also to their overall health. A growing amount of research has found evidence that links our oral health to our overall health. Patients who suffer from tooth decay, gum disease, and tooth loss have a significantly higher risk of developing a range of chronic illnesses that include diabetes, stroke, arthritis, dementia, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. While researchers have yet to establish a clear cause and effect relationship between oral and overall health, what these studies do tell us is that the need to protect the health of our teeth and gums is more important than ever.
Fortunately, you can enjoy a lifetime of great oral health by practicing quality oral hygiene at home.
Brush at least twice a day
Brushing helps to lower your risk of tooth decay and gum disease - two of the biggest threats to your long-term oral health - by removing food particles that linger after eating and harmful bacteria that thrive in the mouth. Failing to brush allows the food particles and bacteria to create harmful substances that slowly erode away the surface of your teeth. The American Dental Association recommends brushing at least twice a day, ideally once in the morning and again at night before bed. Successful brushing also requires taking the time to brush properly. The ADA further recommends brushing for at least two minutes, reaching all the areas of your mouth, including both the fronts and backs of each tooth
Floss at least once a day
In some ways, flossing actually does more to protect your long-term oral health than brushing does. That's because flossing helps to remove food and bacteria that become lodged in areas of your mouth a toothbrush just cannot reach. Despite the need to floss, studies conducted by the ADA have shown that the majority of people in the U.S. don't floss often enough. If you want to protect your teeth from the threat of dental decay and disease, you need to floss at least once a day, ideally at night before brushing.
Rinse with an antibacterial mouthwash
Think of rinsing with mouthwash as just one more precaution against tooth decay and gum disease. While not capable of protecting your oral health on its own, rinsing helps to eliminate harmful bacteria in the mouth you may have missed when brushing and flossing.
By practicing these three daily oral hygiene habits, you can significantly lower your risk of tooth decay and gum disease. Of course, enjoying the best oral health possible also means scheduling regular dental exams and cleanings with our Powell dentist, Dr. Williams.
Dental Exams & Cleanings
Regular dental exams provide Dr. Williams with the opportunity to fully assess the current state of your oral health. With the use of digital x-rays, Dr. Williams will develop a custom oral health plan designed to maintain and improve your long-term oral health. Frequent exams also allow Dr. Williams to spot any signs of dental decay or disease early on while they are still easily treatable. By delaying treatment, you run the risk of allowing any conditions you're suffering from to become worse, potentially becoming more expensive to correct.
Dental cleanings provide our staff of gentle dental hygienists the opportunity to remove hardened plaque, called tartar, from the surface of your teeth and below the gum line. When allowed to remain on the surface of your teeth, tartar can cause your gum tissue to become inflamed. This inflammation can cause a variety of harmful symptoms, including gum disease, in just a matter of weeks. While Dr. Williams recommends that most patients receive a cleaning once every six months, patients may need to receive care more frequently depending on the current state of their oral health.
Dental Sealants
Younger patients often lack the attention to detail and the manual dexterity to properly clean their teeth. For them, dental sealants offer a great solution for protecting their teeth from decay. Dental sealants work to "seal" away the surface of a patient's teeth from the food particles and oral bacteria that contribute to the development of tooth decay.
Dr. Williams applies dental sealants directly to the surface of a child's most at-risk teeth. They are typically applied to the molars, which most younger patients have a hard time properly cleaning. Application of dental sealants only takes about 10 minutes, and the thin coating has no impact on the patient's ability to eat, drink, or taste. Dental sealants are incredibly resilient, and can last for many years before a reapplication is required. To see if dental sealants are right for your child, schedule a consultation with Powell dentist, Dr. Williams, today!
Our Location
Frontier Family Dental
303 N Division St
Powell, WY 82435
307.754.4554