Lowcountry Family Dentistry provides gentle preventative maintenance for your teeth

Regular dental visits play a key role in your oral health and can help you avoid getting cavities and fillings. That’s why at Lowcountry Family Dentistry we recommend a preventative maintenance schedule for our clients.

During your visit we assess the general condition of your teeth and gums, point out trouble spots, and suggest ways to take care of your teeth in between visits.

For your part, we recommend brushing at least twice a day and flossing at least once a day, every day. This is to remove plaque and to reduce the chances of getting a cavity or filling.

What is a Cavity?

A cavity (or caries) is an area of your tooth that has been permanently damaged. The damage is caused by multiple factors, including bacteria in your mouth, sugary drinks, snacking and not cleaning your teeth properly or regularly.

Cavities start small and rarely cause pain in the beginning. But if left untreated they will get larger and can also affect deeper layers of your tooth and even under your gums. Some symptoms of cavities are a severe toothache, gum swelling from infection that can lead to periodontal disease, and eventual tooth loss.

No one wants a cavity and the pain that will come. But when we do find a damaged area of your teeth we want to take care of it as soon as possible with a filling.

What are Fillings?

Teeth that have been affected by tooth decay (caries or cavities) require a filling. The dentist will remove the decayed portion of your tooth and “fill” the area.

There are many different types of dental fillings that we use, including:

• Dental amalgams, also known as silver fillings. These fillings can last from 10 to 15 years, are strong and relatively inexpensive. One disadvantage is the color, since they won’t match your existing teeth.
• Composite resins, also known as white fillings. These fillings match the color of your existing teeth and are great for front or visible teeth. They chemically bond to your tooth for added support. One disadvantage of composites are they last only around 5 years.

Alternatives for Restoring Damaged, Broken or Decayed Teeth:

Don’t let a damaged tooth stop you from smiling! At Lowcountry Family Dentistry we offer other alternatives for restoring damaged, broken or decayed teeth.

• Porcelain veneers – a very thin porcelain ceramic material covers the front of teeth to change the tooth’s color, size, and/or shape.
• Crown – a “cap” that is bonded to a cracked or broken tooth, that cannot be fixed by a filling. Caps are custom made and completely cover the existing tooth.
• Cast gold restorations – Gold has been used on teeth around the world for a long time. Cast gold is strong and can last 20 or more years. This type of restoration is often more costly and may require more than one dental fitting.

We are here to guide you through your options and the best way to treat damaged, broken or decayed teeth.

Schedule your preventative maintenance appointment today!

At Lowcountry Family Dentistry our business is your smile!