How a General Dentist Can Help With Preventing Cavities

Cavity prevention is one of a general dentist’s main tasks. Permanent teeth must last for the rest of your life. Your dentist must help prevent cavities or stop them from progressing. Doing so will help you maintain your dental health. If you want to find out how your general dentist can help prevent cavities, here are the details.

Dental sealants

The general dentist places dental sealants or plastic coatings on the surfaces of the permanent molars and premolars. Dental sealants can protect these teeth from cavities. These chewing surfaces have fissures or grooves. These make them prone to tooth decay. The grooves can become too deep and challenging to clean. This allows plaque to collect in them.

Acid from plaque corrodes the enamel. Cavities start to develop. The dental sealants go over the corners and fissures of the back teeth. This smooth coating prevents bacteria and food particles from clinging to the back teeth.

The primary patients for dental sealants are young children with early permanent teeth. A general dentist can paint dental sealants on their permanent back teeth. This will prevent the chewing surfaces from having cavities. Some dentists even apply dental sealants to baby teeth. This is a way to keep baby teeth healthy. It saves space for the erupting adult teeth.

Dental sealants are clear or white. These can last for about two to seven years. The coating takes a few minutes to paint on teeth. It does not dissolve in the patient’s saliva. The process of applying dental sealants is non-invasive. It does not need drilling and injections.

Fluoride treatments

A patient can get fluoride treatments from a general dentist. This treatment is available in every routine dental check. The dentist will give the patient two trays of foam, liquid, or gel solution. The top and bottom teeth of the patient will set in the trays. This treatment will last for a few minutes.

Fluoride has components capable of fighting bacteria. It also supports the enamel of every tooth. That is why a general dentist will apply a fluoride treatment during a dental cleaning appointment. This treatment will ensure the health of the patient’s teeth in between dental checks. Strong teeth can fight the development of new cavities from poor oral care or eating sugary foods.

Routine oral care of a patient’s teeth includes strengthening. A general dentist provides a fluoride treatment to keep the level of dental care up. Fighting off dental infections and cavities is the main focus of a general dentist. Fluoride treatments ensure the patient’s good dental health. Patients must have these treatments in the clinic. The general dentist will regulate the amount of fluoride the patient needs at healthy levels.