At Mill Creek Dental, we’re dedicated to your oral health. General dentistry allows us to maintain this health and ensure you’re on the right path with oral care. Through regular dental visits and dedicated at-home care, you can avoid serious dental problems and feel confident in the look and function of your smile.
Why Preventative Care is Crucial
Preventative care creates the foundation of your smile. It must occur with diligent care at home and bi-annual dentist office visits. Your oral health hinges on care in both of these places. Without one of these things, your oral health can suffer.
You should brush your teeth at home at least twice daily and floss at least once daily. This removes bacteria and food particles, ensuring they don’t build up on your teeth, forming plaque and tartar. Your twice-yearly cleaning at the dentist office isn’t enough to prevent buildup. Plaque and tartar are what causes tooth decay and gum disease.
However, home care alone isn’t sufficient. There are areas of your smile that you can’t adequately reach with a normal toothbrush. Our office has specialized dental tools to reach every corner of your smile. If you aren’t getting these regular cleanings, plaque and tartar are still building up in these parts of your smile. You’re still at a higher risk for tooth decay and gum disease, even if you brush and floss diligently at home.
At your regular dentist appointments, we don’t just provide cleanings. The dentist also performs a thorough oral exam. Major oral health problems like oral cancer and gingivitis have hard-to-notice early warning signs. Many adults have gingivitis and don’t realize it because the warning signs aren’t painful. We have extensive training to notice these issues early. Our office also has modern technology that can detect a problem before it’s visible to the naked eye.
When you visit the dentist regularly, we can track how your mouth is growing and developing. This is especially important for children and adolescents, as their mouths are changing rapidly to prepare for adulthood. We can monitor development, recommending things like wisdom teeth extraction or orthodontic care if it’s necessary.
General Dentistry Services in Canton, TX
Our office provides general dentistry services to cover every aspect of your oral health.
Family Dentistry
At Mill Creek Dental, we treat patients of all ages. We also offer flexible scheduling so your entire family can get care on the same day, making it easier for everyone. Our family dentistry appointments include a cleaning, exam, and patient education to ensure you care for your smiles properly at home.
Emergency Dentistry
Anyone can experience a dental emergency. Emergencies include tooth pain, breaking a large portion of a tooth, or getting completely knocked out. If you’re experiencing a dental emergency, call our office immediately so we can care for you promptly.
Laser Dentistry
Dental technology continues to develop things to make treatment easier, quicker, and more comfortable. Laser dentistry is one of the best developments. It replaces a scalpel for procedures like gum surgery and periodontal disease treatment, making treatment virtually painless and assisting in healing.
Sedation Dentistry
Sedation dentistry helps ensure patients remain calm and comfortable throughout their dental appointments. Many patients have dental anxiety, making it hard for them to come into the dentist office for treatment. Sedation allows them to get the care they need. We also recommend sedation to patients with multiple dental procedures or those with extensive procedures in one sitting.
Custom Mouthguard
Mouthguards are essential for protecting your teeth. Custom mouthguards are preferred over store-bought solutions because they’re made to fit your mouth perfectly. We provide sports mouthguards to protect your teeth from hits and trauma and nightguards to prevent damage from grinding your teeth at night.
Tooth Extraction
While we strive to protect natural tooth structure whenever possible, sometimes extraction is the best choice for oral health. The most common tooth extraction is wisdom teeth. Most mouths aren’t big enough for this extra set of molars. We may also recommend extraction for teeth with extreme decay or damage that may impact the health of the rest of your teeth.
Diet and Oral Health
Your diet plays a big part in the health of your mouth. Some nutrients are essential for it to remain healthy. However, you can also consume things that negatively impact your smile.
Things Your Mouth Needs
Some of the main nutrients needed for a healthy smile are calcium, phosphorus, and Vitamin D. Calcium strengthens the jawbone and tooth enamel, while phosphorus helps enamel remineralize. Vitamin D assists both of these nutrients, as it helps your body absorb them better. Dairy products are the main source of calcium, and many are also fortified with Vitamin D. The sun is another Vitamin D resource. Phosphorus is also found in dairy or meat products.
Vitamin C and antioxidants are crucial for gums. They both help combat infection and inflammation, two of the main issues with gum disease. You can find these in citrus fruits, strawberries, broccoli, and tomatoes. Not only do they assist in oral health, but they can also boost your immune system and combat other health issues.
Fresh, fibrous fruits and vegetables almost act like natural toothbrushes when you eat them. They can get in nooks and crannies around your teeth, dislodging food particles. Because they also require so much chewing to break down, they produce a lot of saliva. Saliva is extremely important for your oral health. It washes away food particles and bacteria from your smile and neutralizes harmful acids in your mouth.
Foods and Drinks to Avoid
Sugar and acids are the two worst things for your smile. Sugar is the favorite food of harmful bacteria in your mouth. When they consume it, they release an acidic byproduct that eats through your tooth enamel, causing cavities. If the decay reaches your tooth root, it inflames the nerve, causing pain and needing a root canal. Not only is sugar found in sweet foods, but starches also break down into sugars. Foods like crackers and potato chips also expose your mouth to these acids.
Acid increases the rate at which decay can wear through tooth enamel. Sour candy or soda are double whammies for your smile, containing high levels of both sugar and acid. It’s important to note the timing of when you eat these things. If you’re snacking throughout the day, you constantly expose your smile to acids. And with acidic foods, you can’t brush your teeth right after eating like normal. Wait 30 minutes, or it can make your teeth break down faster.
Schedule an Appointment
Use preventative care to keep your smile healthy. Call us or schedule an appointment online to get started.