PREVENTIVE
DENTISTRY

At Northgate Dental we want to help you keep your teeth and gums healthy as possible while at home. The key to keeping a bright, healthy smile throughout adulthood is to practice proper oral hygiene. Children, teens, and adults can get cavities as well as gum disease that can lead to serious dental problems like Periodontitis. We recommend brushing twice a day with fluoride toothpaste and flossing daily to remove plaque from between your teeth and under your gum line before it can harden into tartar. We also recommend limiting sugary or starchy foods, especially sticky snacks. And of course, visit your dentist regularly for professional cleanings and checkups.

The American Dental Association recommends that kids receive dental sealants as soon as their adult teeth erupt. Dental sealants are a quick, easy, and relatively inexpensive solution for preventing cavities. They are thin coatings applied to the biting surfaces that help prevent bacteria and other debris from getting into the deep crevices on the teeth. Young children are great candidates for preventative measures like sealants because in many cases, decay has not set in and kids are notoriously bad brushers and tend to ignore the problem areas in the back of the mouth that lead to cavities and decay.

Gingivitis — an inflammation of the gums — is the initial stage of gum disease and the easiest to treat. The direct cause of gingivitis is plaque – the soft, sticky, colorless film of bacteria that forms constantly on the teeth and gums. If the plaque is not removed by daily brushing and flossing, it produces toxins (poisons) that can irritate the gum tissue, causing gingivitis. At this early stage in gum disease, damage can be reversed, since the bone and connective tissue that hold the teeth in place are not yet affected. Left untreated, however, gingivitis can become periodontitis and cause permanent damage to your teeth and jaw.