Dentistry has come a long way. Today, we can fill cavities with fillings that match your enamel color and are invisible in your mouth. We can scan your tooth with cutting-edge 3D digital technology for a fantastic-looking crown. And we can restore your strong bite with dental implants.

Indeed, modern restorative and full-mouth reconstruction techniques give us the ability to repair even the most decayed and broken smiles — and do it in a way that looks beautiful and totally lifelike.

But one thing in dentistry hasn’t changed. And that’s the simple fact that the best thing you can do for your smile is to keep your natural teeth in good condition. This will save you pain, money, and hours at the dental office.

And the best way to keep your mouth healthy is to practice excellent preventive dentistry. This includes meticulous oral hygiene at home and visiting us at Highland Advanced Dental Care twice per year for a professional cleaning and exam.

To request an appointment, call our Highland Township, MI office at 248-329-3552.

Establish Good Habits at Home

Since you come to our office only once every six months, caring for your teeth and gums between those visits is critical.

There’s a Right Way to Brush

When you’ve been doing something every day for so long, it’s easy to not think much about how you’ve been doing it. But proper brushing — and not just going through the motions — is critical for removing harmful plaque and bacteria from your mouth.

  • Brush twice per day for a full two minutes at a time.
  • Hold the brush at a forty-five-degree angle to the gumline.
  • Reach all surfaces of the teeth, including the backs.
  • Use gentle pressure. Brushing too hard will damage your enamel and injure your gums.
  • Always use fluoride toothpaste and a soft-bristled toothbrush.
  • Don’t forget to brush your tongue! It harbors bacteria that lead to tooth decay and bad breath.
  • Replace your brush every few months or when the bristles become frayed.

Don’t Skip the Floss

You should floss at least once every day. A lot of people prefer to do it before bed, but the American Dental Association says time of day matters less than just making sure you do it. Correct flossing removes food stuck between the teeth and cleans damaging plaque and bacteria from your tooth enamel.

  • Use about 18 inches wrapped around your middle fingers. Leave two inches at a time to work with.
  • Hold the floss taut as you go between each tooth. Keep it against the surface of the tooth as you move it up and down.
  • Curve the floss around the base of each tooth and clean gently under the gumline.
  • When you move to a new tooth, start with a fresh section of floss.

Drink Lots of Water

Drinking water is an excellent way to keep your mouth clean and healthy between dental visits. If you are in the habit of drinking sugary soft drinks, sports drinks, and juices, start replacing them with good old H20. Soft drinks corrode teeth with their acids and stimulate the production of bacteria, which generate tooth-destroying acids. By contrast, water rinses away food particles and bacteria and helps neutralize acids.

If you don’t have one already, purchase a reusable water bottle to carry around with you as you go about your day.

Eat Meals, Not Snacks

Did you know that while what you eat matters, how you eat matters too? When you eat, the sugars and carbs in your food will bring on a feeding frenzy of bacteria, which produce acids that immediately go to work destroying your tooth enamel. If you eat three meals per day, your teeth will be subjected to three of these acid attacks. If, on the other hand, you nibble continuously throughout the day (we know about that bag of chips stashed in your desk drawer), your teeth come under constant attack.

It doesn’t help that snack foods tend to be things like pretzels, chips, and crackers, which are loaded with carbs — bacteria’s favorite food.

If you are craving something between meals, there are tooth-friendly options. A sweet, crunchy, apples. Raw veggies and dip. Filling and tasty nuts.

Visit Highland Advanced Dental Care Every Six Months

Even if you are great about taking care of your smile at home, regular checkups at our Highland Township, MI office are still important.

A professional cleaning is totally different than your routine at home. One of our skilled hygienists will use special tools to remove plaque and stuck-on tartar on your teeth and even underneath the gum line. She will floss and polish your pearly whites so they gleam.

Dr. LoCascio will thoroughly examine your mouth. When Gum disease and tooth decay take hold in your mouth, they often do so sneakily, without exhibiting symptoms. The doctor will be able to detect problems at an early stage, enabling us to get a head start on treatment.

We may take X-rays of your mouth. These images show us what’s going on below the surface, and illuminate problems not visible to the doctor’s naked eye. These include cysts, impacted teeth, abscesses, and cavities that occur between the teeth. Our X-rays are digital, so they expose you to less radiation than the conventional type.

We will screen you for oral cancer using the state-of-the-art VELscope system.

We offer additional preventive services to keep your teeth and gums healthy:

  • Dental sealants are often thought of as a procedure for children, but they are helpful for adults in some cases. A sealant is a plastic coating painted over the chewing surfaces of the back teeth that shields the enamel from destructive bacterial acids. It is not a substitute for good oral hygiene, but is an extra layer of protection.
  • Fluoride is essential for maintaining the strength of your tooth enamel. We offer treatments to help you get enough of this mineral.
  • If you are active in sports or other physical activities, you may want to consider a custom mouthguard. Ours are better fitting and more comfortable than the drugstore variety.

Protect your smile with preventive dentistry. If you live in or around Highland Township, MI, schedule a checkup at Highland Advanced Dental Care. Call 248-329-3552 or request an appointment via our online form.