Blog

Do you and your children have a family dentist? If not, you should begin looking for one. Family dentists do much more than just clean and examine your teeth: they are your partner in the journey to improve your family’s oral health. Here are some of the top reasons it is worth your time to establish a relationship with a dentist for your family’s oral health needs.

Top 10 Benefits of Having a Family Dentist

1. Reduce Dental Anxiety

Do you become anxious when thinking of going to the dentist? Many people do, and it may be challenging for them to fight through the feeling for long enough to go to their appointment.

Having a family dentist builds predictability and familiarity in your dental visits. You know you will always see the same familiar faces in the usual office, which reduces some of the stress of the visit. This is especially important for children who are reluctant to go to the dentist. If they never feel comfortable in the dentist’s chair, they will try to avoid visits for as long as possible. This may cause them to miss out on preventive care like routine cleanings and oral exams that could reduce their likelihood of developing dental problems in the future.

2. Your Dentist Knows Your History

If you visit a different dentist every time, the dentist treating you will not know anything about your medical history. Your family dentist, on the other hand, keeps an extensive file on your medical history. They know things like:

This allows them to give you the best possible care and avoid triggering any adverse reactions to the products they use.

3. Convenience and Flexibility

It can be difficult to get every member to see a dentist regularly in today’s busy families. You will need to work around school hours and activities when booking appointments. If you call last-minute, the dentist might not have enough slots left that day to see everyone at once, forcing you to make multiple trips.

Your family dentist will be happy to arrange all of your family’s dental appointments with one phone call. They may even offer to schedule them back-to-back for added convenience, or at the same time if possible, through other dentists in the office. Many are open during evenings and weekends to help you find the best time for your visit.

4. Prevent Tooth Decay

Tooth decay is extremely common in Canada, affecting nearly all Canadian adults at some point in their lives. However, it is not inevitable. With good home care and regular visits to your dentist, you can avoid developing cavities in your teeth.

A family dentist is best suited to help you and your children reduce your chances of tooth decay. They can chart any existing or developing cavities, apply fluoride treatments to slow the decay, and offer personalized guidance to help you improve your oral hygiene routine and eating habits.

5. Prevent Gum Disease

Gum disease is a serious oral health problem. Bleeding, painful gums are bad enough, but the problems do not end there. If the infection sets into your jawbone and begins to cause bone loss, your teeth may start to shift around and fall out. This is one of the leading causes of tooth loss, especially in older people.

Gum disease is preventable and can even be reversed in its early stages. Seeing your family dentist regularly for cleanings and checkups will help you ward off gum disease and keep your teeth healthy and intact for as long as possible.

6. Consistent Access to Services

If you are not a regular patient at a particular dental office, you might have trouble getting appointments when you need them. This is often seen when attempting to book an appointment several months in the future.

Having a dedicated family dentist eliminated this problem. Not only will they allow you to book ahead of time, but they will often suggest that you do without you even having to ask.

7. Brighter Smiles

Maintaining bright, white teeth is an important part of personal grooming for both children and adults. Teenagers are especially likely to feel self-conscious about stained or yellow teeth. Getting regular dental cleanings at your family dentist’s office will help your whole family maintain brighter smiles all year long.

If you have a special event coming up or just want to achieve an even brighter white, you can also ask your family dentist about professional whitening treatments. Using these, your dentist may be able to make your teeth several shades lighter still.

8. Preventive Care

Preventive dental care plays a significant role in keeping your teeth and gums healthy. People who receive regular dental care are less likely to develop severe problems like advanced tooth decay, periodontitis, or dental abscesses.

Your family dentist will see all your family members on a regular basis. They can spot problems before they develop into severe issues and make the appropriate interventions to keep them from becoming worse. They can also clean any built-up tartar off your teeth and suggest things you can do at home to better care for your oral health.

9. Emergency Dental Services

Most children are extremely accident-prone, and their teeth are often easier to dislodge or break than an adult’s teeth would be. If they were to get hit in the head or jaw, there is a decent chance that some dental damage may be done.

Having a family dentist allows you to rest easy, knowing that if something does happen, you know where to go to get your child’s teeth examined and fixed. Considering that timing is critical to achieving the best results in many cases, this is no small advantage.

10. Access to A Range of Dental Services

Each member of your family needs different types of dental care. From orthodontic screenings and cavity prevention to tooth extraction and implant placement, you will need a dentist that can do it all.

A good family dentist in Mississauga offers services for patients of all ages. Whether you need tips on how to care for your baby’s first few teeth or need to have a crown placed on a severely damaged tooth, you can go to the same dental office you always visit and have all of your family’s dental needs addressed.

Book Your Family Dentist Appointments with the Best Dentist in Mississauga

Having a family dentist can make a significant difference in the oral health of you and your children. Find yours today at Trillium Smile Dentistry. Dr. Tousi and her team are always happy to take on new patients of all ages, and with our sterling reputation, you can be sure that your family will receive the quality dental care they need. Contact us today at 905-828-9894 or fill out our online form to set up your first round of appointments today.

Tooth decay is one of the most common afflictions among Canadians. In fact, 96% of the adult population has had at least one cavity in their life. Cavities also become more common the older you get.

The good news is that tooth decay is mostly preventable. With good oral hygiene and a careful diet, you may never develop a new cavity in your lifetime. Our guide can help you better understand the causes of tooth decay and outline the steps you can take to avoid any future cavities.

Types of Tooth Decay

There are three different types of tooth decay:

What Causes Tooth Decay?

Tooth decay is the result of a three-step sequence of events.

Once tooth decay occurs, it is difficult to reverse.

Decay will continue to progress until the cavity is drilled and filled. Some dental procedures can disguise the presence of cavities and early decay and improve the look of your teeth. However, these are not considered treatments for this condition. Veneers do offer excellent cosmetic camouflage for areas with large visible fillings, though, so they may still be a good idea after the appropriate treatment has been provided.

Stages of Cavity Development

Human teeth have three distinct layers: the enamel, the dentin, and the pulp. Untreated tooth decay gradually works its way through all the layers over time. If you have a dental cavity, you can expect it to progress through the following stages:

Enamel and Dental Caries

A dental cavity always starts in the outer layer of your tooth: the enamel. This layer is extremely strong and continually rebuilds itself through a process called remineralization, which happens when your mouth is free from food or food residue. If food particles stay in your mouth for long periods, your teeth will not have enough time to re-mineralize themselves and will begin to decay.

Enamel-stage cavities can sometimes be reversed with good diet and oral hygiene. Many dentists will wait until a cavity has progressed into your tooth’s dentin layer to fill it, but not all. Your dentist’s recommended treatment will depend on how quickly the cavity is progressing, how good your diet and oral hygiene are, and your general dental history.

Pulpitis

When a cavity in your tooth’s enamel layer is not treated in time, it will eat through both the enamel and dentin layers of your tooth to reach the pulp layer inside. This layer is directly above your tooth’s nerve, so it is extremely sensitive. A cavity in this layer will probably cause you a lot of pain, and it can only be treated with a root canal and crown.

Periodontitis

Periodontitis is not a true stage in the development of tooth decay, but it does often co-occur with advanced decay. This is because if you have not been taking care of your teeth, you have probably also been neglecting your gums. Periodontitis is a serious and irreversible form of gum disease that requires lifelong maintenance to keep it under control.

Tooth Loss

If you still do not treat a tooth that has become severely decayed, that tooth will start to die. When this happens, it can no longer be saved. The only thing your dentist can do is remove it and replace it with a dental prosthetic like an implant or a bridge. You want to avoid this outcome at all costs, so it is important to never delay cavity treatment when your dentist says it is needed.

Preventing Tooth Decay

Preventing tooth decay is easier than you think. If you want to minimize the number of cavities you will need to have filled in the future, be sure to:

Use Fluoride

Fluoride’s re-mineralizing properties can be astoundingly effective in preventing tooth decay. Use a toothpaste and mouthwash that contain fluoride to help strengthen your teeth over time. The more often you expose your teeth to fluoride throughout the day, the stronger its effects will be. Your dentist can also give you a professional fluoride treatment.

Brush Your Teeth

Brushing your teeth regularly goes a long way toward keeping your plaque levels low. The friction of the brush’s bristles against your teeth disrupts the sticky substance and makes it easier to wash it away. Your toothpaste removes even more plaque and delivers fluoride to your teeth to help them defend against plaque in the future.

Floss

Flossing removes plaque from one of the most neglected spaces in your mouth: the spaces between your teeth. This keeps you from developing cavities in those vulnerable areas.

Monitor Your Diet

You probably already know that consuming less sugar will help you reduce your risk of tooth decay, but the type and timing of sugar intake are just as important as how much of it you eat.

Sugary drinks are worse for your teeth than sweet foods because they can easily deposit sugar particles into tight spaces between your teeth and into the fissures on your molars.

Similarly, consuming a little bit of sugar frequently throughout the day is much worse than having a lot of sugar all at once. When you do this, your teeth are under constant attack from plaque bacteria. They never get the chance to rebuild themselves through remineralization, and eventually, they start to decay.

Schedule Regular Teeth Cleanings

Professional teeth cleanings are the only way to reliably remove tartar (hardened plaque) from your teeth. Since tartar can harbour bacteria and cause decay just as easily as plaque, it is important not to let it build up. Visiting your dentist’s office for a cleaning at least once every six months removes this tartar and makes it less likely that your teeth will develop cavities.

Protect Your Teeth with Help from Trillium Smile Dentistry

A cavity-free future is possible, but you will need the right support to achieve it. At Trillium Smile Dentistry, we want to see you reach this goal. We offer a variety of services to help prevent and control cavities, including teeth cleanings, dietary advice, fluoride treatments, and more.

Worried it might be too late to change your ways? We can also help when the damage has already been done. Cosmetic solutions like front teeth veneers can help you restore your smile’s beauty and make you feel proud to start your new cavity prevention routine. Our periodontal maintenance program can also help you fend off the lasting complications of past oral hygiene neglect and set yourself up for better oral health.

Contact us at 905-828-9894 to discuss your dental needs and book an appointment for a cleaning or restoration today.

Good oral hygiene habits will help you avoid most dental problems, but you may still need to undergo oral surgery.

Dental surgery, also often referred to as oral surgery, encompasses any surgical procedure involving the teeth, gums, or jawbone. Many people have their first oral surgery when their wisdom teeth are removed. Some need additional procedures later in life.

Our guide will help you prepare for dental surgery so you can feel more at ease when taking this important step for your oral health.

Many people think dentistry is focused on fixing oral health problems, but the best dentists work to make sure you never have these problems in the first place.

Your dentist in Mississauga can help you improve and maintain your oral health with preventative dentistry services. These procedures can keep your teeth and gums intact, improve your overall health, and even save you money.

Dental crowns, sometimes also called caps, are small, tooth-shaped covers that are placed over a natural tooth. These prosthetics extend to the gum line, covering the affected tooth from top to bottom.

A well-made crown looks just like a natural tooth and allows you to chew food the same way you would with your original dentition. This makes crowns an excellent solution for both aesthetic and functional oral issues. You can learn more about this time-tested dental care option in the guide below.

Tooth loss is a common dental condition seen among patients. Losing a tooth to injury, gum disease, or decay can impact your facial appearance and compromise your ability to speak and chew normally. Many people who have lost a tooth worry about it constantly and become self-conscious, afraid to let anyone see the gap in their smile.

Dental implants can be used to replace missing teeth and correct these problems. Many patients report that getting dental implants has had a significant impact on their quality of life. Some forget that they were ever missing a tooth in the first place. Our guide will teach you everything you need to know about dental implants, including what they do, how they are placed, and why they are the right choice to replace your missing tooth.

Sooner or later, nearly every adult will need to visit their dentist for a dental filling. 96% of Canadian adults have some history of cavities, and most develop more than one in their lifetime.

Dentists typically use one of two options to fill in the spots where a cavity has damaged a tooth: silver or white fillings. This guide will help you learn about each type and give you the information you need to choose the right filling for your dental needs.

Children require regular dental care as much as any other type of healthcare, even when they are very young. The Canadian Dental Association recommends that all children visit a dentist before their first birthday and receive regular dental checkups every six months afterwards.

However, finding a family dentist in Mississauga is not always an easy task. You must choose a dentist that is able to provide reliable, convenient care for both the children and adults in your family. This guide will identify what to look for at a family dentist and offer tips to find the right one for you.

If you are unhappy with your smile due to crooked teeth, yellowing or staining, uneven gums, chipped or broken teeth, and gaps, cosmetic dentistry services can address your concerns and give you the smile you have been dreaming of.

Dentists who specialize in this type of practice are artisans with a keen eye for the subtle details that create an attractive smile. Learn more about what cosmetic dentistry can do and whether you might benefit from seeing a cosmetic dentist yourself.

Invisalign is a modern alternative to metal braces. Using custom-made, clear plastic aligners, it can produce gradual changes in tooth positioning. It can treat many of the orthodontic problems that braces do, but many patients prefer it for its many cosmetic and functional advantages.

Treatment generally lasts between 12- and 18-months using sets of aligners that are changed every two weeks. You can use this treatment method to straighten your teeth, improve your bite, and correct any midline shift you may have. Since the retainers are nearly invisible, only you and your dentist will know they are there.