Can a Family Dentist Prevent Cavities and Toothaches?

Being a family dentist means that we have the opportunity to see different members of the family, and work with all age groups. Over the years, we have strived to build a relationship model with our patient's  that is based on trust, familiarity, and an understanding that we are on your side when it comes to oral health. Starting with the youngest children and working our way to the oldest adults, we have treated all manner of dental challenges while continuing to provide education and share best practices to prevent some common dental emergencies. Becoming part of your family's overall health strategy allows us to identify potential problems, before they occur, and work with you to ensure that you spend less time dealing with dental emergencies and mostly come in to see us for checkups and cleanings.

A family dentist has a front row seat to the unique sets of challenges that each generation of a family can face. When treating different members, sometimes we are dealing with cavities in a child while fitting an older member for dentures. Being front and center, we can identify trends and habits that often occur in families. For example, some have a well-defined sweet tooth, which can cause problems with younger children and also lead to decaying issues in older members. Parents can work with us to ensure that their children do not have the problems that come from excessively eating sweets, which in turn can prevent problems later on in life. As the family dentist, we can help you with more preventative steps so that the likelihood of a dental emergency is greatly reduced.

 
We work on a number of different preventative measures with our patients. However, there are two reasons why people usually come in to see us above and beyond preventative cleanings and checkups. These are toothaches and cavities. Cavities are most commonly associated with younger patients, who tend to have a fondness for sweets and a dislike for the routines that can prevent cavities from occurring. Cavities are caused by acid, found in all foods. These acids, when left on the tooth, start to attach the enamel and wear it down. Eventually the enamel gives way in a small area, resulting in a hole in the tooth which is also known as a cavity. Luckily cavities are not hard to prevent. With proper oral hygiene habits, like brushing twice a day and rinsing after every meal, the formation of cavities can be greatly restricted.

Toothaches rank very high on the discomfort scale and, as a result, are a common reason for people seeking immediate medical attention. Toothaches are often a symptom of an underlying problem that can be simple or could require extensive treatment. Sometimes the problem can be an infection, which has set into the root and requires treatment like a root canal, while at other times the tooth could just be sensitive due to a wearing down of the enamel which can be corrected by increasing the use of fluoride. As a family dentist, we urge patients to call us immediately if they start to experience discomfort so that we can correct the problem before it worsens.