How Cosmetic Treatments Help Your Oral Health
By Joe Pace | Published on December 22, 2010 | 0 Comments
Keeping your teeth clean and healthy not only improves your smile but also makes your trip to the dentist easier and pain-free. And while the main goal of traditional dentistry is preventing, diagnosing and treating oral disease, on the other side, cosmetic dentistry can improve the overall aesthetic look of your mouth. Sometimes, these two branches can cross paths, and the cosmetic treatment for the look of your smile can actually help your oral hygiene. Dr. Joe Pace of Pace Dental in Vienna, Virginia discusses how certain cosmetic treatments can lead to better oral health and benefit traditional dentistry.
Better Oral Hygiene
Dr. Pace believes that one of the main benefits of visiting a cosmetic dentist in Vienna is the overall improvement in oral health. When people’s smiles improve, they are motivated to take better care of their teeth and make oral hygiene a priority.
Dr. Pace says that while health is the first criteria for all of dentistry, “Good dentistry really is cosmetic dentistry because it not only improves the look of your teeth, but improves your oral health as well.” Let any cosmetic dental procedure you undergo be the motivation you need to keep your smile healthy. Cosmetic procedures should always leave your teeth smooth and easy to keep clean, making it easier to control the growth of oral bacteria. “Creating an environment where healthful bacteria grow is the first step in improved oral health,” says Dr. Pace.
Better Oral Health
At Pace Dental, understanding the biology and chemistry of your mouth is really important to addressing your oral health needs. Bacteria, their byproducts, and your body’s response to them are the cause of many oral maladies. Acidic foods, dry mouth, the use of antibiotics and other medications, and your overall health can be detrimental to your mouth’s health and vice versa. Bad bacteria can cause tooth decay and unhealthy bacteria can cause bad breath; and your immune response to bacteria and their byproducts causes periodontal disease. Having the right balance of healthy bacteria and having healthy, pH-balanced saliva will encourage a healthy oral ecosystem, which is essential to overall health.
Based on many years of basic microbiological research, it has been shown that a few naturally occurring oral bacteria can act as antagonists to the harmful bacteria that cause oral destruction. This is why Pace Dental helps patients establish and maintain healthy pro-biotic bacteria. “By culturing healthy bacteria and selecting nutrients that discourage unhealthy bacteria while encouraging healthy bacteria, we can lead you, in a natural way, to better oral health,” Dr. Pace explains.
Better Oral Chemistry
Your saliva is a solution of nutrients, including calcium, phosphorus and other important minerals, that help to keep your teeth from dissolving away. Dry mouth, an acidic diet, dehydration, medications, and illness can tip the chemistry of your mouth toward the dissolution (dissolving) of tooth enamel, dentin, and other tooth structures (and can result in the loss of health of your teeth). A cosmetic dentist like Dr. Pace can help you restore your saliva to a more optimal level with the sustained use of key enamel nutrients.
Dr. Pace says that while health is the first criteria for all of dentistry, good dentistry is cosmetic. Dentistry as a practice is designed to improve the health and look of your teeth, whether it is classified as cosmetic or not. So let any cosmetic dental procedure you undergo be the motivation you need to keep your smile healthy.
*Disclaimer: The information on this website is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your healthcare provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with an appropriate healthcare provider.