• Dental check ups include screening for oral cancer. Every hour of every day someone in the United States dies from oral cancer. It is highly curable if diagnosed in the early stages. Visiting your Dentist for regular dental check ups and avoiding tobacco products are the key factors in detecting and preventing oral cancer.
• Gum (Periodontal) Disease affects your overall health. Gum Disease is one of the main causes of tooth loss and is also linked to heart disease and stroke. In the early stages, it can be treated and reversed. Advanced gum disease, periodontitis, includes bone loss. Brushing and flossing daily together with regular check ups and cleanings are your best prevention against gum disease
• Dental cleanings and checkups are important in maintaining good oral health. Regular check ups prevent small cavities from enlarging, gingivitis from advancing to bone loss, and catches many other problems while they are small. The Diagnodent Laser Cavity Detector detects cavities before they can cause trouble. Don’t wait until you have a problem. It is easier and more cost effective to catch problems early.
• Brushing twice a day helps keep the cavities away. When you brush properly, at least twice a day you are removing the plaque that causes cavities. Plaque is the soft sticky biofilm that accumulates on the teeth from food debris and bacteria. Improper brushing or flossing can be picked up during a dental exam and you can learn to be more effective.
• Bad breath can be a result of dental problems. 85% of people with bad breath have a dental problem to blame. Mouthwash only masks the odor. Once the reason for your bad breath is determined it can be eliminated.
• Proper nutrition is important for good oral health. The sugars from soft drinks and processed foods combine with the bacteria in your mouth to produce acids that attack tooth enamel. This leads to cavities and gum disease. Products such as Xytitol help to minimize these acid attacks and help you maintain good oral health.
• Dental problems do not go away on their own. Untreated cavities get bigger, and will eventually reach the nerve in your tooth resulting in a root canal or extraction. Small cavities can now be reversed with remineralization techniques. A little bit of blood from your gums when brushing your teeth is a sign of trouble. Gingivitis can be reversed before it leads to periodontitis which is a significant oral disease with systemic implications
• Any painful condition in the mouth needs to be evaluated. Yet, the absence of pain is not an indication that all is well. Almost all dental procedures can be preformed without pain. Newer technologies such as the Waterlase MD laser and air abrasion can perform many restorative procedures without ‘a shot’ (local anesthesia).
• Change your toothbrush. Manual toothbrushes wear out after about 3 months and brushing with an old toothbrush can be causing more harm than good. If you have gum disease you should replace your toothbrush every 4-6 weeks because bacteria can harbor in the bristles. Your dental professional can see whether you are doing a good job with your oral hygiene.
• Maintaining good dental health is easy. Some people think it takes too much effort to get good oral health. The truth is, eating a nutritional diet, brushing twice a day, and flossing daily combined with regular dental check ups, keeps you healthy, and looking good. Early diagnosis and treatment of dental problems is always the most cost effective route.
   

Dr. Chris Edwards at Smile Design Center has practiced Minimally Invasive Dentistry his whole career. Smile Design Center is located in Viera. For more information visit www.smiledesigncenter.us or call 321-751-7775.