In all medical fields prevention is the best solution. At Allen Dental we believe that educating our patients and the community is the best way to prevent dental disease. Your Idaho Falls Dentist, Scott Allen, believes there are three main categories that make up the standard for preventative dental care:
We take pride in the fact that every patient that is seen for a cleaning in our office will receive personalized oral hygiene instructions. This allows each patient to have his or her current home care (brushing/flossing) habits critiqued. Not only will we evaluate current successes and needs for improvement we will demonstrate techniques allowing every mouth to have optimal oral health.
In most cases we recommend a professional cleaning every 6 months. Even the most dedicated flossers need a professional cleaning 2 times a year. Without this preventative cleaning the risk of developing gum disease is very high. There are times that cleanings may be scheduled more often based on oral health status or history of periodontal disease. The timing of all cleanings needs to be evaluated by a dentist or dental hygienist.
All people have different oral health status and history. We evaluate every patient’s current risk for oral disease. This allows us to implement an adjunctive therapy as needed. Some causes to need additional preventative measures are: high risk for dental decay, previous periodontal disease, current uncontrolled infection, developmental disability, dexterity deficiencies, abnormal tooth formation, or significant tooth sensitivity.