Here we answer the five most common questions asked by our dental patients

We get lots of questions here at Bonaventure Dental Care! And we are happy to answer them all. Our goal is to make your experience as painless and as comfortable as possible to keep your teeth healthy!

Here we answer the five most common questions asked by our patients.

1. How often should I have a dental checkup?

A regular checkup is usually twice a year for most patients for early diagnosis and intervention.

Regular checkups not only help keep your teeth healthy but will also save you money! If you have regular checkups and cleanings this will reduce the amount of plaque buildup on your teeth and enable us dentists to detect any early warning signs like gingivitis or cavities and help you either avoid them or treat them before the problem becomes too big (and expensive!). Your teeth will be healthier and stronger with regular visits.

2. Dental patients ask what is a cavity?

Basically, a cavity is a hole in your tooth. Cavities occur when your teeth have some decay. The tooth decay (dental caries) happens when bacteria, which lives in your mouth, uses the sugars and starches from food to live on and then multiply. The bacteria builds up until its acids attack the tooth enamel and eventually cause a tiny hole in the enamel (a cavity). The bigger and deeper the cavity gets the more pain and discomfort you will feel.

You can help reduce cavities by regular dental visits, routine home hygiene (brushing, flossing and mouth wash) and reducing foods high in sugar which enables the bacteria to thrive.

3. What is gum disease?

Periodontal (gum) disease is caused by a buildup of plaque between your teeth and gums. It is often caused by poor dental hygiene and often you might not even be aware. In the initial stages gums can become red, swollen and may bleed. This is called gingivitis. In its more serious stage, the gums can pull away from the teeth and form ‘pockets’ that become infected eventually leading to tooth loss. This is called periodontitis.

There are a number of risk factors. Smoking is the most significant whilst others include diabetes, hormonal changes or certain medications or illnesses.

Did you know almost half (47%) of American adults suffer from some form of gum disease? But gum disease is treatable especially if it’s caught early, hence why regular dental visits are important. For more severe gum disease there are deep cleaning, root scaling and antibiotics that will help get rid of this disease.

4. How can I improve the whiteness of my teeth?

Despite the fact there are various over the counter bleaching kits around, professional whitening is the recommended option if you are looking for the best results. We use gels with higher concentrations of bleaching agents, and they are safe and won’t harm your teeth.

The first step is to make a dental appointment to come and see us so we can evaluate your teeth. A professional cleaning can often help whiten teeth by removing surface stains caused by food or certain drinks.

We offer in-office treatments or bleaching kits you can take home. The treatment we use is called Sinsational Smile which is a one 30-minute treatment in our dental office. Teeth whitening can be done on patients of any age and is a fast and affordable treatment to make their smile look amazing!

5. Why are my teeth sensitive?

Tooth sensitivity or dentin hypersensitivity, happens when the acids break down the enamel and the tooth enamel becomes thinner or gum recession occurs. The inner layers of your teeth are made up of dentin, pulp and nerves and is extremely sensitive which is why it needs the enamel armor protecting it. If this is exposed, then there can be pain or sensitivity mostly to hot or cold and sweet or acidic foods and you should get this checked by your dentist.

The enamel damage can be caused by various means – sometimes brushing too hard or hard bristles can wear down the enamel layer. Other causes are gum disease or gum recession, cracked teeth, age or acidic foods.

Tooth sensitivity affects one in eight adults. To help prevent this good oral hygiene is key and a diet low in acidic foods. If treatment is required, we can help with fluoride rinses and advice on good fluoride toothpastes. Other options are fluoride varnishes applied to the exposed root surfaces, fillings, or dentin sealers.

If you have any questions of your own just get in touch!

If you are a new patient you can visit our page here or you can find much more information relating to our treatments and services via our website. Or just get in touch with us at the dental office– we’ll be happy to help.