Dental hygiene
Professional caries prophylaxis
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Caries prophylaxis for healthy teeth
Targeted prevention preserves your beautiful smile
Caries is a disease of the teeth that is caused by the metabolism of bacteria. The existence of dental plaque is a prerequisite for tooth decay, as bacteria accumulate there without the right prevention. These pathogens convert sugar from food into acid, which attacks and damages the tooth enamel. The more extensive and deeper the cavities in the teeth, the greater the likelihood of (severe) toothache. But pain or even tooth loss due to tooth decay does not have to be the case: Effective prevention can be derived from knowledge about the development of tooth decay. Find out about key methods of caries prophylaxis for adults and caries prophylaxis for newborns. Find out more about dental and private caries prevention measures now.
Everything at a glance
Table of contents
A radiant smile again thanks to bleaching.
What is caries prophylaxis?
The word prophylaxis, which comes from the Greek, simply means prevention. Consequently, caries prevention measures include all actions aimed at preventing the development of caries. Years of experience and research show that tooth decay can be prevented relatively easily, or at least reduced. The prerequisite for this is that the respective caries prophylaxis dentist can impart the relevant knowledge to the patient in a good and practical manner and identify problem areas in good time during the semi-annual routine examination.
Preventive care is therefore essential to ensure that painful cavities that destabilize the tooth structure do not occur in the first place. This is because as soon as cavities are detected by the dentist, the decayed tooth areas must be cleaned and filled to prevent further damage. Only then is the tooth fully functional and protected again. However, if the disease is more advanced, the bacteria may have already colonized the root canal. This is an indication for root canal treatment. If you take the right hygienic precautions, you are doing the right thing to prevent the need for root canal or caries treatment in the first place and to preserve the tooth for longer. In summary, the aim of caries prophylaxis is to maintain your oral health and reduce dental damage caused by caries.
Professional options for preventing tooth decay
Why is caries prevention important?
The so-called 4-pillar caries prophylaxis includes both professional caries prophylaxis at the dentist and preventive hygiene routines that you can carry out at home.
4-pillar caries prophylaxis
4
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Use of a toothpaste containing fluoride
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Conscientious, regular dental care
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A healthy diet
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Preventive dental care / dental measures
Private preventive care is just as important as caries prophylaxis at the dentist. It is best to brush your teeth regularly with a toothpaste that contains between 1000 and 1500 ppm fluoride. Such a toothpaste gives the enamel better resistance to bacteria, acids and microorganisms. Please note that an individually increased caries risk may require the use of a toothpaste with a higher fluoride content or a special mouth rinse in combination with a common toothpaste.
Preventive measures
Brushing your teeth with fluoride toothpaste
Our tip:
Conscientious dental care
When using fluoride caries prophylaxis by brushing your teeth, please ensure that you brush for at least two minutes to remove plaque from all chewing, inner and outer surfaces. Some toothbrushes integrate a timer to control the brushing time. Regular dental care should be carried out at least twice a day - ideally in the morning and evening - to ensure the best possible protection against tooth decay. However, conscientious does not mean excessive: If you apply too much pressure and brush endlessly, you may damage your gums.
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We want to make your stay at our practice as pleasant as possible. The entire practice and our procedures are designed so that we can offer you complete, quality-oriented treatment and the best service in a relaxed atmosphere.
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Friendly, bright practice rooms
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Overview:
Aids for private caries prophylaxis
To improve hygiene in the interdental spaces and in the entire mouth area, dental floss, tongue brush or mouthwash should be considered in addition to the (automatic) toothbrush if necessary. We will be happy to explain to you which private caries prophylaxis options are the best choice for you during a visit to the dentist at smilin.
Dental hygiene at home
Toothbrush
Removal of dental plaque and the bacteria that have settled there.
Dental floss/toothpicks/interdental brushes
Reduction of deposits in the hard-to-reach interdental spaces.
Tongue brush
Removing the tongue coating removes some of the bacteria and microorganisms that have settled there.
Mouthwash/mouth rinses
Mouthwash provides fresh breath: it does not replace brushing your teeth, but can reduce symptoms of inflammation or various dental diseases as a prophylactic measure after consultation with your dentist.
The bacteria in dental plaque need sugar to produce harmful acids. For this reason, eating habits play a fundamental role in the prevention of tooth decay. This is because they help determine how great the individual risk of tooth decay is. A healthy diet is therefore a key resource for caries prevention. A balanced, not too acidic mixed diet with as little sugar and few carbohydrates as possible is recommended. In colloquial terms, the aim is to remove the breeding ground for bacteria to expand.
Care should also be taken to ensure that meals provide the teeth with important minerals to keep them healthy in the long term. Many detrimental eating and drinking habits, usually too sweet, which can contribute to tooth decay, are also considered a possible cause of obesity. In this respect, a healthy dental diet also has a positive effect on general well-being.
A healthy diet
A radiant smile again thanks to bleaching.
What dental measures are there to prevent tooth decay?
At our patient-friendly smilin'' dental practice in Rheinfelden, we have effective caries prophylaxis options. In the following chapters, we will explain relevant preventive measures that are implemented during caries prophylaxis at the dentist.
Caries prophylaxis
Tartar removal
One of the most basic caries prevention measures is tartar removal. During this "deep cleaning", our experienced prophylaxis assistants remove plaque that cannot be removed at home despite careful care with a toothbrush and dental floss. Professional tooth cleaning removes the basis for caries and periodontitis in a painless way and takes comparatively little time.
Caries prophylaxis
Control examinations
Effective caries prevention is hardly possible without early detection. Semi-annual check-ups are therefore one of the most important caries prevention measures your dentist can take. If problems and sources of disease are recognized in good time, dental diseases can be stopped at an early stage with limited effort.
Caries prophylaxis
Fluoridation with gel
Normally, sufficient fluoride is present in the teeth as a natural resource. If this is not the case - due to various causes such as an unbalanced diet or an individually reduced fluoride absorption capacity - it may be useful to strengthen your tooth enamel. This strengthening or hardening is possible by applying a fluoride-containing gel to the tooth surfaces. It also inhibits the acid production necessary for the development of caries. In general, robust tooth enamel is more resistant to caries bacteria.
Caries prophylaxis
Fissure sealing
Fissures are tiny cracks in the tooth enamel. Caries can spread in places that are difficult to reach even with a toothbrush. If indicated by a dentist, we seal these small grooves with a special resin and thus counteract fissure caries at an early stage. We recommend fissure sealing as a caries prophylaxis, especially for patients who are prone to caries.
In contrast to caries prophylaxis for adults and adolescents, caries prophylaxis for newborns is characterized by the fact that meticulous attention is paid to limiting the amount of fluoride ingested. This is because, unlike adults, babies with their first teeth and very young toddlers tend to swallow toothpaste. To avoid overdosing, dental associations therefore recommend using special children's toothpaste with only small amounts of fluoride from the time the first teeth erupt.
Preventive measures
Caries prophylaxis for newborns
Some pediatricians, on the other hand, advocate the use of fluoride-free toothpaste. They prescribe the required fluoride in the form of tablets with a precisely controllable dose. According to studies, both methods are suitable for preventing tooth decay and the risk of adverse health effects is very low. Please note, however, that you should choose one of the two options. However, the combination of tablets and a fluorinated toothpaste should be avoided in view of the risk of overdosing. We will of course provide you with further information on the best caries prophylaxis for your newborn during your consultation.
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The right caries prevention - do you still have questions?
We hope that the content presented on the topics of caries prevention for adults and newborns has provided you with helpful information and behavioral tips for effective caries prevention. As a caries prophylaxis dentist, we will be happy to provide you with further options during the patient consultation. You can contact us at any time, because your dental health is our top priority.
We take care of your smile.
Benefit from our additional services
In addition to high-quality dentistry, we offer a comprehensive range of services on request to make your visit to us as pleasant as possible.
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SMS notifications
for reminders about check-up and prophylaxis appointments
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Digital dental impression
for fast fabrication of precise dental prostheses in 2 hours.
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Own laboratory on site
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Long opening hours
for more flexibility when booking appointments
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