Maintain Good Oral Hygiene.
Regular tooth brushing should focus on removing the plague around the gum margins of the teeth. Keep in mind that the toothbrush cannot get in between the teeth and you need to use another method to clean in between the teeth. If the space is tight then dental floss is recommended. If the space is not so tight then use ribbon floss or super floss. If the space is a little wider still then use the interdental brush. A visit with the Hygienist would set you straight. The most important thing we can do for you is to teach you how to be more efficient at cleaning your teeth. It would avoid a host of problems in the future.

 

Have Regular Cleanings.
We call a cleaning a prophylaxis or a scaling and polishing. Even though the gum looks like it is attached to the tooth. There is a little space between the gum and the tooth we call a periodontal pocket. In health this pocket is shallow and in periodontal disease it gets deeper and deeper. Simply put, you can maintain above the gums by brushing and flossing but your dentist or hygienist needs to maintain below the gums by scaling in order to keep the gums healthy. Do this at least twice a year to start with.

 

Replace Missing teeth.
Whenever you extract a permanent tooth it leaves a gap in the mouth. This causes an imbalance in the forces that work on teeth. The teeth on either side of the gap start to drift into the gap opening up spaces for food packing. The tooth above or below the gap may start to over erupt leading to exposure of the roots of the tooth. This is bad news and will lead to further tooth loss. Eventually chewing effectiveness is lost and the way the teeth fit together becomes deranged or unbalanced. This cycle continues with more and more loss unless you step in and rebalance the mouth by replacing the missing teeth. There are various replacement options available e.g. Dentures, Bridges and Implants.
They all have different cost but the message is - replace the missing teeth with whatever is affordable for you.

 

Prevention , prevention , prevention.
They say an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Prevention of tooth decay can markedly reduce the number of cavities you get in a lifetime. Apart from Good Oral hygiene and regular cleanings, there are two things a dentist can do to protect your teeth. The first is called Fluoride treatment. This actually hardens the surface enamel using a very strong fluoride solution, professional grade, not found in supermarket shelves. You can think of it as a prescription drug. The second is called Fissure Sealants. This is where we cover the top surface of the tooth with a hard plastic coating making it smooth and easy to clean and preventing plaque bacteria from getting inside the fissures. Think of it as dental ‘glad wrap.’ They work and work well. If you have children you can seal out tooth decay.