Protecting Your Oral Health in Franklinville, NJ
At Franklinville Family & Cosmetic Dentistry, we offer many kinds of cosmetic dentistry solutions. But those services are secondary to maintaining your most basic health oral needs.
Dental cleanings and regular exams are vital to the lasting health of your teeth and gums. Just like receiving a physical exam from your primary care physician is the first step in making sure your body is healthy and catching illnesses early. Visiting our Franklinville dental office every six months enables your preventative dentist, Dr. Gottlieb, to spot gum disease and other issues before they become a problem.
What is Preventative Dentistry?
Preventative dentistry refers to dental care that helps you maintain good oral health. This means a combination of regular dental check-ups, regular dental cleanings, and developing good oral hygiene habits at home.
Preventative dental care is vital to keeping your teeth and gums healthy for a happy smile. It allows your dentist to see you regularly, and catch small issues before they become big problems. Without it, patients risk going through more intensive treatment later on.
Why is Preventative Care Important?
By prioritizing preventative dentistry from an early age, you can dramatically reduce your risk of developing common oral health problems like cavities, gum disease, tooth loss, and jaw issues down the road. Prevention allows problems to be caught and addressed in their earliest, most treatable stages. Routine cleanings remove built-up plaque and tartar that brushing alone can’t handle. Dr. Gottlieb also looks for any signs of potential issues during examinations and can provide treatment or advice to stop problems from progressing.
Our Preventative Services
Dental Cleanings
Regular professional cleanings are essential for preventing gum disease and tooth decay. During these preventative visits, one of our skilled dental hygienists uses specialized tools to remove hardened plaque and tartar buildup that can’t be brushed away at home. Your teeth are then polished to remove stains and leave you with a freshly cleaned, brighter smile. Dr. Gottlieb recommends getting a cleaning every six months.
Oral Cancer Screenings
Oral cancer screenings are a quick, painless way to check for signs of cancerous or precancerous lesions in the mouth, throat, tongue, and tonsil area. At our Franklinville, NJ, dental office, Dr. Gottlieb performs a visual screening for any irregular spots, lumps, or sores during every routine dental exam. Early detection is key for successful oral cancer treatment, so get screened regularly.
Pediatric Dentistry
Our entire team has years of experience working with children, making Franklinville Family & Cosmetic Dentistry an ideal choice for pediatric dental care. We offer various preventative services to protect your child’s growing smiles, including dental cleanings, fluoride treatments, sealants, habit appliances, and education about proper brushing and flossing. From a child’s first visit around the age of one through the teenage years, we provide welcoming, compassionate care tailored to your child’s unique dental needs.
Professional Cleanings
Dental cleanings are crucial to your preventative dentistry plan. Preventing dental disease starts at home with good oral hygiene habits. It’s continued in the dental office by the efforts of your dentist and dental hygienist to promote, restore, and maintain your oral health.
Brushing and flossing your teeth regularly get rid of the majority of plaque and tartar on your teeth and gums, but not all of it. When you come into our dental office for professional cleanings, your dental hygienist will use specialized tools to reach hidden and unreachable spots to remove harmful bacteria and debris. Prevention also includes regular dental exams, cleanings, and X-rays. Sealants and fluoride are also great preventative treatments that help protect the teeth.
Benefits of Preventative Dentistry
There are many health benefits of preventative dentistry, including:
- Promotes good oral hygiene habits such as brushing your teeth twice a day and flossing
- Lowers your risk of developing tooth decay, gum disease, and other serious dental problems
- Early identification of dental problems can help keep treatment costs down
- Helps reduce dental problems related to chronic medical conditions like diabetes, osteoporosis, some cancers, and more
How Often Should I See A Dentist?
In nearly all cases, Dr. Gottlieb will recommend coming in for cleanings and checkups twice a year. However, we may recommend visiting your dentist more frequently depending on your individual oral health needs. Plaque and tartar can hide in crevices in the mouth that at-home brushing and flossing cannot reach.
If you haven’t seen a dentist in a while, please don’t hesitate to schedule an appointment with our friendly team. We’ll be happy to help get you back on track and treat any potential issues that arise.
Frequently Asked Questions
Dental cleanings are generally painless. If you have sensitive teeth or gums, Dr. Gottlieb can apply a topical numbing cream. Your health and safety are our top priority, and we’ll do everything in our power to make your visits comfortable.
There are a few risks associated with getting oral cancer screenings, but they are minimal. You may end up receiving a false positive, in which case more testing is needed to determine the presence of cancer. Cancer screening also cannot detect every form of cancer, so it is possible a screening may miss a small lesion or some cells.
Children should begin seeing their dentist regularly as soon as their first baby tooth begins to come in. Plaque and tartar buildup can happen at any age, and it’s important to develop healthy habits early.
You Deserve Early Intervention
Don’t wait until you have a dental emergency. If you are a patient in the Franklinville, NJ area, Dr. Gottleib is ready to serve. Call our Franklinville office at (856) 694-5555 to set up an appointment and start building your oral defenses.