Caring for your teeth between dentist visits

Welcome to Your Health & Fitness Report !

Dental care is a highly personalized health service that
varies from patient to patient. As a result it is difficult
to give hard-and-fast rules about what constitutes a "good
quality" dentist. For optimum dental care it is important to
find a family dentist who takes a sincere interest in the
patient's general health and well being. In order to locate
qualified dentists in your area the first thing you should
do is to call or write to your local dental society seeking
a list of dentists in your area. You can also speak to your
family doctor or local pharmacist or ask members of your
extended family, friends, neighbours or co-workers for their
recommendation. Other possibilities are to speak to the
dental school in your area or call your local hospital that
has an accredited and attached dental service.

After completing your research, call a dentist and make an
appointment. At this first visit you should be able to learn
a lot about whether the dentist is right for you and your
family. Keep in mind the following questions: What is the
general appearance of the office and the dentist? Is
everything neat, clean, and orderly? How available is the
dentist? Is the appointment schedule convenient for you? Is
the office easy to get to from your home or place of
business? Does the office provide dental health instruction
and is the dentist skilled in the treatment and prevention
of dental based disease? Does the dentist seem genuinely
interested in your health and well being in a holistic
sense? What arrangements can the dentist offer for outside
of office hours emergencies? Then don't be embarrassed to
ask the dentist about fees.

Regular dental checkups are an essential part of any oral
health program. If you see your dentist regularly, any oral
health problems you have can be treated in their early
stages preventing considerable health problems and expense.
If you see a dentist only in an emergency, or when you
already have a serious problem, treatment may be much more
costly and the problem much more extensive.

Periodically, your dentist may ask you to have an x-ray
examination. X-rays help your dentist find hidden conditions
that can threaten your dental health. X-rays can usually
pick up dental health issues early and treating such
conditions at an early stage often prevents more serious
damage and the need for more expensive treatment later.

But there are also things you can do at home. Brushing and
flossing the teeth thoroughly at least daily will ensure
that you remove plaque. Plaque is a thin film of bacteria
that forms on the outer layer of your teeth and without
treatment causes tooth decay and gum disease. By using a
fluoride mouth rinse and toothpaste you will help to make
your teeth stronger and more resistant to decay. Eating
nutritious meals and limiting the number of sugary snacks
you eat on a daily basis is also important for maintaining
your oral health and hence minimising your level of dental
treatment required.

Layla Thornton is the webmaster of About Dentist which
is a premier source of information about Dentist. For questions or
comments about this article, please visit: http://aboutdentist.com