Scarsdale Preventive Dentist

Regularly scheduled dental visits for oral exams and teeth cleanings are essential for the maintenance of healthy teeth and gums. At these appointments, Dr. Cox and our hygienists will have the opportunity to check your smile and ensure that you’re not suffering from any common issues, like cavities and gum disease. . Preventive care helps to keep your mouth healthy and your smile bright and beautiful, and also saves you time and money by helping you avoid the need for costly dental treatments.

Yes! Dr. Cox is an experienced Scarsdale family dentist, and our team loves working with children of all ages. Bring your little ones into Scarsdale Smiles and start the journey to optimal dental health! We will introduce your child to the world of dentistry with enthusiasm and contagious positive energy. Our entire team knows how important it is to give children an enjoyable dental experience, so we do everything we can to keep a smile on their face throughout their entire visit.

Fluoride treatments involve the application of a fluoride-rich solution to your teeth in order to restore the strength of your enamel. Fluoride has the unique ability to strengthen enamel, remineralize “soft spots”, help them recover from minor tooth decay, and also help to decrease sensitivity. Fluoride treatments are most commonly used for pediatric patients  because children are especially prone to cavities, but fluoride provides benefits to patients of all ages.

Dental sealants consist of a strong, clear dental resin that is applied to the chewing surface of back teeth.. The sealants harden into a plastic barrier that prevents direct contact between your teeth and oral bacteria, acid, and food debris. This, in turn,  stops cavities from forming. Sealants have been shown to reduce the risk of decay by nearly 80%. They are most commonly placed on children’s newly erupted adult teeth. Sealants can be placed over areas of early decay  to prevent further damage to a tooth on  patients of all ages.

It is estimated that about half of American adults have some form of gum disease. If you are noticing bleeding while brushing and flossing, swollen or discolored gums, or  bad breath, these might be signs that you have gum disease.  However, oftentimes gum disease can be present with little signs to the patient.
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Dr. Cox and our hygienists perform a painless periodontal exam to determine if treatment is needed. Special “deep cleanings” (scaling & root planing) might be recommended to treat the gum disease by removing plaque and tartar from your teeth, above and below your gums. Getting help right away is essential, as gum disease will continue to worsen without treatment.

The proper way to brush your teeth is at a 45-degree angle with a soft-bristle toothbrush. While many people think that hard bristles will be more effective at scrubbing the teeth and removing food particles, these are too abrasive to your enamel and can cause erosion. 

To protect the integrity of your tooth enamel, you should brush gently for at least 2 minutes twice a day. Use a fluoride toothpaste to reduce your risk of developing cavities and always brush your tongue which harbors a lot of bacteria and can contribute to foul breath. 

Don’t forget to floss! You should be flossing once a day at a minimum between all of your teeth. When you only brush and fail to floss, you are only cleaning ⅔ of the surfaces of your teeth. This can lead to interproximal cavities (cavities between the teeth). 

Only by combining brushing and flossing can you completely remove food particles and plaque from your mouth. This reduces your risk of developing tooth decay and gum disease.

Unwind about 18 inches of floss and then break it off. You’re going to hold the floss between your thumbs and index fingers for a sturdy hold. Then, you’re going to start working the floss between two teeth, starting at the front and working your way toward the back. 

Pull the floss down the teeth and when you are approaching the gum line, curve the floss into a C shape so you’re also removing food particles from the gum line. Don’t be too rough because you don’t want to break the floss or cause trauma to your gums. 

If you don’t floss very often, then some bleeding is normal. Continue flossing between each of the teeth gently in an up and down motion, ensuring you get all of the surfaces between the teeth. After you’ve used a strand of floss, get a new one and never use the same string of floss.

Luckily, preventive dental care is the most common and widely covered area of dentistry by insurance. This can include routine cleanings and checkups, x-rays, fluoride treatments, and dental sealants. 

While the specifics depend on what policy and insurer you have, preventative treatments are often covered by 80-100% by dental insurance. This is because preventative treatments reduce the need for additional costly dental work in the future and are effective at preventing severe oral health problems. 

Contact your insurer and ask what treatments they will cover and how much. At Scarsdale Smiles, we accept many major insurance plans. We also offer a savings plan for patients who are uninsured which includes no deductibles, copays, or waiting periods.

Regular dental cleanings and checkups are crucial for preventing tooth decay and gum disease. The ADA recommends that you attend a dental visit every 6 months. Contact us at Scarsdale Smiles today to schedule an appointment with Dr. Alexander Cox.