Dental Hygiene
Surprise, AZ
 A good home consistent dental hygiene routine is the single most important step you can take to maintain a healthy mouth. At Surprise Smiles, our office can provide tips, treatments, and care to improve your oral health, but the work that is done on a daily basis at your home cannot be done twice a year in our chair. Working with David Frausto, DDS and our professional hygienist, we can show you the difference daily brushing and flossing can make.
Unfortunately, there is no cure for the plaque. It is a naturally created substance in your mouth from the blend of saliva and food debris. Plaque is filled with bacteria. Bacteria happily eat away at the sugar particles in the food debris and then produces an acid that eats away at the enamel of your teeth. This is known as decay, and often by the term, cavities. When it comes to your teeth, there is a very simple equation of plaque plus teeth equals decay. The key to preventing decay is to remove plaque from the equation through brushing and flossing twice a day.
At Home Dental Care
Caring for your teeth at home incorporates multiple steps that can easily fit into your life. This includes:
| • |
Reducing Sugar:Sugar is not healthy for your teeth. Sugary drinks and foods will lead to cavities. Maintaining a diet low in sugar will help keep healthier teeth. |
| • |
Drink more Water:The simple act of regularly drinking water will help reduce the number of bacteria and sugar left in your mouth. Water will help wash away food particles. |
| • |
Use Fluoride Toothpaste:Fluoride has been proven to strengthen enamel and keep teeth healthier. |
| • |
Brush Angled Toward the Gum:A common problem is patients brushing the front surface of their teeth with a flat angled brush. It is much more productive to angle the brush toward the gum and brush along the gum, and then brush the remaining part of the tooth, front, and back. |
| • |
Floss:Flossing is the most often missed step, even though it is so important to your oral health. It is best to floss once a day, before retiring to bed. When you floss, you want to make a C shape, moving the floss in a scooping motion, not just up and down. Scooping debris and plaque from between your teeth will make a significant difference in your oral health. |
Preventive Care Done in our Office
There are hygiene steps that we can take to assist your home care. This includes:
| • |
Fluoride Treatment:Following your dental cleaning, we may suggest the application of a prescription strength fluoride treatment. This is done to provide added mineralization to the enamel of your teeth, strengthening them. |
| • |
Remove Hardened Tartar:Plaque is constantly forming. If the patient does not remove the plaque when brushing, it then dries and hardens into a material known as tartar. Tartar is difficult to remove, and should only be removed by a hygienist. This is done at your bi-annual cleaning appointment. |
| • |
Dental Sealants:We can reduce the incidence of decay occurring by sealing the areas of your teeth that are most susceptible to decay. Dental sealants are a plastic material that we brush onto the surface of your molars where plaque and food can hide. Patients with sealants experience far fewer cavities. |
Dental Hygiene Information
Education is an important aspect of what we do at Surprise Smiles. We want to provide our patients with the tips and tools to help them be more successful in having a healthy mouth. Contact us for more information. (602) 842-4864 |
