Preventive Dental Care in Edmond, OK
Here at Edmond Dental Center, preventive dentistry is at the heart of everything we do. Dr. Michael Chandler believes in taking a conservative approach to dental care, which allows us to save our patients time, money, and effort.
Our dentist in Edmond, OK focuses on biomimetic dentistry, which means our goal is to save and protect our patients’ natural teeth. The principles, techniques, and innovative materials we use allow us to preserve more natural tooth structure during dental restorations and to encourage proper preventive habits with our patients.
Your teeth are a precious resource, so we will teach you how to care for them and ensure they last a lifetime. With consistent at-home dental care and regular visits for your routine exams and teeth cleanings, you give yourself the best chance of having a healthy smile for life. To schedule your next dental appointment in Edmond, give us a call today at (405) 330-4630!
- How can I take care of my teeth and prevent cavities?
- Why do I need to visit my dentist if I brush my teeth every day?
- Is it really that important to floss?
- What is gum disease?
How can I take care of my teeth and prevent cavities?
Even though you still need to visit your Edmond general dentist regularly, most of your preventive dental care begins in your own home. For the most part, it’s within your power to prevent cavities, avoid dental emergencies, and keep your teeth white and healthy. A happy, healthy smile begins with you! 
Most dental patients know the basics of preventive dentistry: brush and floss your teeth, go to the dentist for checkups, don’t eat too much sugar, wear a mouthguard when you play sports, and so on. Yet, even though so many people understand the importance of taking care of their teeth, many choose not to or come up with excuses about why they don’t have time.
Have you ever thought to yourself, “I’ll get better at flossing eventually” or “It’s fine if I don’t go to the dentist for a few years because I have strong enamel and rarely get cavities?” If so, you’re not alone! A shocking number of Americans report slacking on their dental hygiene or avoiding their dentist’s office on a regular basis for reasons such as fear, finances, or busy schedules.
The best way to care for your teeth, however, is to prevent problems from ever developing in the first place. Once you put off your dental care for long enough and begin to have cavities, toothaches, or even gum disease symptoms, it’s harder to restore your mouth to its previous level of health.
Luckily, there are easy ways to take care of your smile! Most preventive dental habits are fast, inexpensive, and easy to perform:
- Brush your teeth at least twice a day for two or more minutes at a time
- Brush with fluoride toothpaste and use a fluoride mouthwash at least once a day
- Don’t use your teeth as tools, such as for holding pens, opening plastic bags, or biting fingernails
- Floss daily, preferably after you’ve finished eating for the day
- Limit your intake of soda, juice, and other sugary beverages that offer little nutritional value and harm tooth enamel
- Avoid all tobacco products
- Seek treatment immediately if you experience a dental injury or emergency, as this will minimize the damage and prevent future, permanent problems from developing in that tooth
- Visit your dentist in Edmond, OK at least every six months for a teeth cleaning and exam
Why do I need to visit my dentist if I brush my teeth every day?
If you’ve mastered having excellent oral hygiene at home, you may feel tempted to skip your regular dental checkups. While it’s true that your personal hygiene routine is usually the biggest part of the battle, you won’t be able to fully protect your smile from cavities and bacteria without help from your Edmond dentist.
Why? The only way to remove 100 percent of harmful plaque and tartar from your teeth is with specialized professional dental instruments. Unless you’re a trained dental professional, you won’t have the knowledge and technique necessary to get your teeth clean on your own—even if you have your own set of special dental tools!
When you visit your dentist twice a year for professional teeth cleanings, you can leave your appointments knowing you have a clean slate and your mouth is no longer full of harmful, hardened plaque. Your six-month dental appointments also give your dental team a chance to take updated dental x-rays and examine your smile for any warning signs or red flags before problems get too severe.
Think about it: If you see your dentist twice a year, then the longest any cavity or dental infection can go undetected is six months. Oral health problems become harder, more expensive, and more painful to treat the longer they go on, so it’s in your best interest to attend your routine dental appointments. Your Edmond dentist is always on your side and wants to do everything they can to help you keep your smile in pristine condition.
Is it really that important to floss?
Yes! Many patients consistently avoid flossing, yet daily tooth flossing is just as important as daily tooth brushing.
Flossing aims to remove food and bacteria buildup from between your teeth and along your gum line. No matter how well you brush your teeth, you won’t be able to reach every nook and cranny with a toothbrush simply because of size and angles. The only way to routinely remove unwanted gunk from your smile is to floss every single day.
When you have bacteria in your mouth, it takes the form of a sticky clear film known as “plaque.” Plaque eventually hardens and becomes what dentists refer to as “tartar,” which is the substance that only professional dental cleanings can remove. Tartar can form in as little as 24 hours, which means that skipping even one day of flossing will inevitably lead to stubborn tartar on your teeth.
Flossing is an excellent, inexpensive, and fast way to improve your preventive dentistry routine and avoid cavities, tartar buildup, and gum disease.
What is gum disease?
Gum disease is an infection of the soft tissue surrounding your teeth and the bone that supports the roots of your teeth. When you don't remove excess plaque daily through both brushing and flossing, it causes your teeth and gums to separate and results in bacteria attacking your bone below the gum line.
Since your bone and gums are the primary support system for your teeth, it will result in tooth loss if your infection is left untreated. Gum disease has multiple stages and typically grows worse over the course of months and years.
This disease, also known as “periodontal disease,” is particularly frustrating to dentists because the condition is 100 percent preventable. The basic preventive habits of brushing, flossing, and getting regular professional dental cleanings are almost always enough to keep periodontal disease from developing. If you have questions about or need treatment for your gum disease in Edmond, please don’t wait to contact our dental office.
Schedule Your Next Teeth Cleaning Appointment in Edmond!
Thanks to modern dentistry, we understand the links between the inflammation that causes gum disease and the inflammation that causes other general health concerns such as heart disease, diabetes, dementia, and high blood pressure. This evidence suggests that you may be more likely to develop serious conditions like heart disease if you have gum disease or severe oral health problems.
To protect your smile and your overall bodily health, it’s imperative to keep up on your routine dental appointments. If you’re overdue for a teeth cleaning and exam in Edmond, OK, Dr. Michael Chandler would love to see you at your next dentist visit. Please call our team at Edmond Dental Center today at (405) 330-4630 to schedule your next preventive dental visit with us!
You may not realize it, but even when your mouth is clean, it is full of bacteria. These are naturally occurring microorganisms that like to eat even the smallest bits of leftover food particles. After their meal, they deposit a sticky white substance called plaque on your teeth. Plaque accumulates after you eat your meals, and it can build up, especially in places where your toothbrush can’t reach. If you don't remove plaque daily, the build-up can harden into a substance called tartar that irritates your gums and can trigger inflammation and gum disease.
While our adult teeth should last a lifetime, there are many reasons a patient may need a tooth extraction. Whether to prevent infection from spreading or because the tooth is too damaged to save, our dentists at Edmond Dental Center provide gentle and comfortable tooth extractions. 
