La Perle Dental Of La Mesa

Regularly brushing and flossing your teeth and using other good oral hygiene practices are essential-not just so you'll have pretty teeth but also to protect your health in general. If you don't practice good oral hygiene, you could end up with an array of both dental and medical problems, including gum disease, bone loss, infections, and even cardiovascular disease.

Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral that can help prevent cavities among both children and adults alike. Fluoride strengthens tooth enamel and repairs holes in enamel by replacing lost nutrients, making the enamel more resistant to acid from bacteria and sugar that can lead to tooth decay.

While fluoride is naturally found in water, food, and can be attained through toothpaste and mouthrinse fortified with fluoride, your trusted La Mesa DDS can also prescribe a fluoride treatment for children who are developing teeth, adults with white spots present on their teeth as the result of demineralization, or patients who are at risk for tooth decay.

When Should I See a Dentist about Potential Cavities or Getting Fillings in La Mesa? When they find out they have cavities that require fillings, La Mesa patients are often surprised because they haven't noticed any symptoms, especially tooth pain. It's quite common for small cavities to exist without producing any symptoms at all, which is why it's always best to detect cavities as early as possible.

If a tooth damaged beyond repair, most often from decay or trauma, it will need to be extracted from its socket. A simple tooth extraction is done when the tooth is visible in the mouth and is typically performed by your dentist. The dentist will use a tool called an elevator to loosen the tooth, and then remove it using something called forceps that resemble tongs.

Depending on the stage of gum disease when it's diagnosed, there are both non-surgical and surgical treatment options. Periodontal Maintenance - During a routine cleaning, your dentist will remove plaque and tartar from the surface of teeth as well as above and below the gum line. In the early stages, the dentist will likely recommend deep cleaning more than twice annually to lessen the progression of gum disease.