New Year, New Smile: Achieve Great Oral Health in 2021
Do you want to take charge of your oral health in 2021? If so, we recommend booking an appointment with our Lafayette dentist for a checkup and cleaning. In addition to providing excellent preventive oral care, our practice offers restorative and cosmetic services that can help repair damaged teeth and give you the smile of your dreams.
Dental Checkups: What You Need to Know
Dental checkups are thorough. A checkup with Dr. Chauvin could reveal that you have slipped into bad habits with your oral hygiene, developed common oral health concerns like tooth decay and gum disease, or determine if you’re at risk for a number of dental conditions.
Our team recommends frequent dental checkups because many oral health conditions develop without symptoms. In fact, when noticeable symptoms develop for patients, they have already developed considerable damage to their teeth and gums.
During checkups, your oral health is evaluated with a physical examination and diagnostic aids like digital X-rays. We assess more than the health of teeth and gums, too. Your checkup is also a screening for bone issues that affect your jaw and potential life-threatening conditions like oral cancer.
Another important aspect of your checkup is the conversation you will have with our dentist, Dr. Chauvin. This is a great time to bring up any general health changes or diagnoses you’ve had, changes in medications or supplements you take, your stress levels, and lifestyle habits. Oral health is connected to your general wellbeing, so it’s important to have candid conversations with our team so that we can better serve your unique needs.
How Dental Cleanings Prevent Disease
Keeping appointments for routine professional cleanings is a powerful weapon against the development of oral disease. Our dental hygienists use specialized tools that remove surface debris from teeth and just beneath the gums. Accumulation of surface debris, particularly tartar, contributes to gum disease—a condition that can wreck your oral health if left untreated.
During dental cleanings, our hygienists can discuss oral hygiene education with you. If our team notices signs of inadequate brushing and flossing, we can discuss your habits at home and provide tips to improve the effectiveness of your home care. This is a great time to ask for product recommendations or learn more about oral hygiene techniques that can help you prevent disease.
Another bonus to receiving regular cleanings is the fact that removing surface debris and polishing teeth lightens surface stains so that you can enjoy a whiter smile.
Restorative, Periodontal, and Cosmetic Dental Care
If it’s been a while since you’ve seen a dentist, there’s a good chance you might need follow-up treatments. These can include:
- Restorations
- Periodontal therapy
- Application of cosmetic enhancements to restore appearance
- Or a number of other follow-ups
Restorations such as fillings and crowns help protect damaged teeth and when tooth-colored materials are chosen, you can enjoy undetectable dental work.
Periodontal treatments can slow down the progression of gum disease and improve the health of your gingiva.
Our practice also offers a number of cosmetic services like professional teeth whitening to help you look and feel your best.
Our practice is here to help you achieve your oral health goals for 2021. If you have questions or would like to schedule an appointment with Dr. Chauvin, call our Lafayette dental practice at (337) 234-2186.
