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Your teeth were meant to last a lifetime. But sometimes they don’t. When you have lost a permanent tooth to trauma, decay, or disease, it is important to your dental health to replace that tooth.

If a lost tooth is not replaced, you are at risk for developing other complications such as your remaining teeth becoming crowded, tipped over, or even lost altogether. That is why, in addition to the cosmetic benefits of replacing a lost permanent tooth, the functional benefits of dental implants should be part of your consideration when exploring treatment options.

Dental implants function like natural teeth

Dental implants offer you much more than a cosmetic repair to your smile. Instead of replacing just the visible tooth, a dental implant also acts as a replacement for the tooth root. The implant is placed in the jaw bone and acts as an anchor for a replacement tooth or crown that is customized to match your natural teeth. This anchor, usually made of titanium, mimics the feel and function of a natural tooth. Most patients cannot tell a difference between their implant and their other teeth. They can enjoy normal foods and can easily maintain their implant with good brushing and flossing.

Dental implants prevent bone loss

Within our jaw, there is a natural feedback loop between the bone and the teeth it supports. As we chew, our teeth actually stimulate the jawbone to stay healthy and strong. When a natural tooth is lost and not replaced, that feedback loop is lost. The empty space in the jawbone will eventually deteriorate due to the lack of stimulation. This deterioration compromises the strength and volume of the bone itself. Within the first year, patients can experience bone loss up to 25% resulting in a noticeable change to facial appearance.

Dental implants protect your remaining natural teeth

A gap in your smile also affects the surrounding teeth. Eventually, they begin to shift, may start to tip over, and may even fall out. Other treatment options such as a tooth-supported bridge, require that adjacent teeth are grinded down to be fitted with the bridge. This natural tooth structure can never be replaced. Dental implants keep your remaining natural teeth in position and do not require you to sacrifice their structural integrity.

Preventive dentistry means taking care of your teeth, gums, and mouth to the point where you’re able to avoid oral health problems, which are being proven more and more to be linked to overalL health problems.

Don’t believe us? Periodontal disease is linked to all sort of health maladies, conditions like diabetes and heart disease, even increasing your risk of having a stroke.

Preventive dentistry from a dental practice standpoint consists of:

• Cleanings & Exams
• Digital X-Rays
• Sealants
• Fluoride
• Diagnodent Laser
• Prophylaxis

Preventive dentistry from a patient standpoint on a day to day basis looks like:

• Building a great at-home oral health practice (brushing and flossing twice daily)
• Eating a balanced diet
• Staying away from sugar when possible

Preventive Dentistry Benefits

When you practice great dental hygiene, not only are you drastically decreasing your risk of getting cavities, gingivitis, and periodontitis, but you’re also decreasing your risk of running into the following health problems:

• Heart Disease
• Diabetes
• Osteoporosis
• Respiratory Disease
• Stroke
• Cancer

Who Should Consider Preventive Dentistry?

Everyone! From children to senior citizens, preventive dentistry will allow newly developing adult teeth become strong and healthy. Preventive dentistry will also help prevent decay as we age. Sealants and topical fluoride are both available options to help prevent tooth decay. Preventive dentistry is a great way to help you keep your real teeth as you advance in age.

It’s an unfortunate reality that even the best practices of flossing and brushing will only do so much for the mouth. Though tooth floss and toothbrush bristles are certainly designed to get in between the teeth, they will not clean those all of those tight spaces in the mouth that your teeth and gums create.  

The teeth toward the back of the mouth, known as the molars, are especially difficult to clean.  Molars are comparably rough in texture and have some surface to navigate. The unfortunate truth is the average person’s molars have a considerable amount of food particles and bacteria that, if left unchecked, can eventually cause cavities.

Dental sealants are a tried-and-true solution to this dire problem.

The Basics of Dental Sealants

Think of dental sealants as a protective barrier comprised of plastic or another dental material.  This thin coating sticks to the chewing surface of molar teeth, providing an important layer of protection.

Dental sealants are not meant to take the place of flossing or brush your teeth. Rather, this oral health solution is meant to be used in combination with floss, toothpaste, mouthwash, and 6-month regular cleanings at the dentist’s office — in short, a comprehensive oral health wellness plan!  

Once dental sealants are applied to the molar teeth, they will prevent cavities from developing and possibly even prevent the initial signs of decay from leading to nasty cavities.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), dental sealants decrease the chances of molar tooth decay by upwards of 80%. The CDC also reports youngsters without dental sealants have 3 times as many cavities than those who enjoy the protection provided by dental sealants.

A Quick Look at How Dental Sealants Work Their Magic

Dental sealants function similar to jackets and coats. These protective shields keep food particles out and ultimately prevent bacteria from sabotaging the teeth. Dental sealant barriers shield molar teeth similar to the ways in which a winter coat protects the skin against snow, rain and other precipitation.  

Think of the eating process as a harsh storm in your mouth. Food, bacteria and other particles will settle in on the molar teeth unless dental sealants block them from making initial contact.

Dental Sealants Candidates

Though it is primarily children who receive dental sealants, adults can also benefit from this protective dental shield. The sooner dental sealants are applied to the teeth, the better the chances are for success.  

Molar teeth tend to emerge around the age of 6 years.  Second molars emerge just before the teenage years. The optimal approach is to have these molar teeth sealed as soon as they emerge so cavities do not have an opportunity to settle. Such well-protected teeth prove healthier, stronger and cheaper to maintain as fewer dental restorations will be necessary across posterity.

Our Worry-Free Application Process

The application of dental sealants is easier than most assume, especially at Pacific Dental Care. Our process is quick, easy, and pain-free. Our oral health professionals start out by cleaning and drying the teeth to be sealed. We apply an acidic gel to the teeth that creates a lasting bond between the molar tooth and the dental sealant. The gel is then rinsed away and the dental sealant is added to the tooth’s grooves. A blue light is added to make the sealant hard, durable and capable of crushing food into small pieces that do not stick to the molar teeth.

If you have any additional questions about dental sealants, contact Pacific Dental Care today. We’ll schedule your consultation and set you up with a comprehensive oral health plan that will help you smile stay beautiful and stand the test of time.