When it comes to keeping a patient’s teeth healthy, many dental practices in the Keizer area suggest regular routine visits to help protect their teeth. In many ways, brushing and flossing at home are great methods of helping to stave off tooth decay, but are not always as effective as people believe them to be. Bacteria and food particles can still cause problems for even the most dedicated brusher and flosser. Regular routine visits for dental cleaning can get into places that brushing and flossing can’t reach, making it easier to prevent this type of problem from causing serious decay in a patient’s enamel.
One of the most common procedures for general dentistry in Keizer OR is teeth cleaning and whitening. These two processes can help strengthen existing enamel, and add a protective layer over the patient’s teeth to help stave off bacteria. Unfortunately for patients who suffer from already weakened or broken enamel, or have weak enamel in their family, dental cleanings can only do so much before other procedures will be required to save the tooth in question. When enamel starts to break down, there is no way to currently restore or rebuild it naturally. A dentist will be required to perform dental procedures like cavity fillings, dental veneers, dental crowns, or even dental implants to repair the damage caused by tooth decay.
In minor situations, a cavity can be fixed temporarily by filling it, but will always have a chance of breaking down even further at a later date. If the tooth has less than 70% of its enamel left, many dentists will rely on crowns or veneers to cover the tooth and restore its ability to chew or bite. Many practices of General Dentistry in Keizer OR will wait until the tooth is below 50% before they will resort to using more extreme measures like tooth extraction to remove the tooth and replace it with an implant or bridge. A dental implant will be the most likely choice, since they provide an easier means of replacing a tooth that will still keep the bones beneath them healthy as their anchor stimulates bone growth while chewing. Contact Riverfront Dental LLC to learn more about dental procedures.