You may think of fillings, crowns, dentures, and other restorative dental work as just an inevitable part of growing older. Your grandparents had to deal with it, then your parents, so isn’t your turn next?

We have some good news for you. By practicing good preventive dentistry, you have an excellent chance of keeping your natural smile and your real teeth healthy for life. That includes taking care of your mouth at home and coming to see us at the dental office twice per year.

Preventive care is not hard, but it does require a little knowledge and commitment. But it’s well worth it, potentially saving you lots of money, pain, and time.

Do you have your next dental checkup in the books? If not, call Davenport Dental Group at either one of our Laredo, TX locations: Winfield at 956-517-2695 or Junction Drive at 956-242-6745.

#1: Be Consistent with Oral Hygiene

No matter how rushed you are in the morning and no matter how tired you are at night, don’t let your daily brushing and flossing routine fall through the cracks. The more diligent you are about brushing twice every day (two minutes per time!) and flossing daily, the more habitual it will become. And that will pay off with less tooth decay and gum disease.

#2: Come See Us Regularly

Sometimes it’s tempting to skip dental appointments if your teeth look and feel fine. We get it. But even if you don’t have an obvious problem, those twice-yearly checkups are important. We will clean away damaging plaque and tartar you can’t reach at home. And during our visual examination or through X-rays, we will be able to catch problems very early on.

#3: Drink Water, Not Sugar

You know those soft drinks, juices, and sports drinks that are ubiquitous these days? They are basically pure sugar that coats your teeth and provides food for bacteria that multiply in your mouth and create the acids that wear down your enamel. Diet soft drinks are also harmful to your oral health due to their high acid content.

So stick to water to quench your thirst. Plain H2O keeps your whole body hydrated, rinses away food particles, and keeps your mouth clean throughout the day.

#4: Don’t Snack

After you eat, bacteria multiply in your mouth and acids attack your tooth enamel. When you stick to three meals per day and don’t nibble in between, you are limiting these attacks to right after meals. But when you tend to graze, your teeth never get a break.

#5: Consider Sealants

Especially popular for kids, dental sealants are like an extra layer of protection for the teeth. A sealant is a plastic coating that is applied to the back molars. It is a barrier that bacteria and acids have difficulty breaching. The procedure has been shown to reduce tooth decay significantly in children.

For your next preventive dentistry appointment in Laredo, TX, contact Davenport Dental Group. You may request an appointment via our online form or call the location that’s most convenient for you: Junction Drive (956-242-6745) or Winfield (956-517-2695).