At Smiles for Miles Dentistry, our goal is to help patients prevent dental issues before they start. With proactive care and patient education, Dr. Salm and our experienced team empower you to maintain lifelong oral health.
Preventive dentistry minimizes the need for costly or complex treatments in the future, saving you time and money!
We proudly serve patients from Brookfield, Waukesha, Elm Grove, Butler, Pewaukee, and nearby areas. Many of our patients return year after year, thanks to our gentle, honest, and effective care.
Why Preventive Dentistry Matters
The importance of preventive dental care can’t be emphasized enough. It’s about working with your dentist to keep your mouth healthy.
The following examples illustrate ways that preventive dentistry is so important.
It Establishes a Dental Plan to Support Preventive Care
Establishing a preventive dental plan makes it easier to establish a routine for maintaining good oral health. This plan may include:
- Setting up appointments for exams and teeth cleanings.
- Scheduling preventive treatments like fluoride or dental sealants for teens and children.
- Oral cancer screening.
- Tips for maintaining healthy gums and preventing gum disease.
Developing oral health habits like good oral hygiene and regular dental care can lead to better overall oral health. At the same time, working with your dentist is a big part of that approach.
Routine Dental Visits Prevent Tooth Decay
Even patients with strong at-home routines can develop issues that go unnoticed without expert evaluation. That’s why routine visits to our office are so important.
With over 20 years of experience, Dr. Salm has the training to recognize subtle signs of tooth decay, including weakened enamel, early dental caries, and areas where dental plaque has started to accumulate.
Early Detection Tools Protect Your Oral Health
Using home tools like a toothbrush and dental floss helps establish good oral health habits. However, many issues remain hidden without professional evaluation.
During your visit, Dr. Salm uses advanced diagnostic technology to catch problems early, including:
- Tiny cavities that are too small to see or feel at home
- Weakened tooth enamel that may be starting to erode
- Early-stage gum disease developing below the gumline
These issues are best identified with tools such as digital X-rays and advanced dental imaging.
Detecting issues early allows for simpler, more affordable treatment and helps protect your long-term oral health.
A Continuum of Care from Dental Fillings to Extractions
Follow-up treatments stop issues found during exams from progressing and reduce the need for more invasive or costly procedures later.
While services such as dental fillings, tooth extractions, or treatment for periodontal disease are not considered preventive dentistry, Dr. Salm may recommend a follow-up appointment to treat any problems found during your time in the dental chair.
Preventive Dental Services We Offer
Smiles for Miles Dentistry offers the following preventive dental care services to our patients:
Teeth Cleanings & Regular Dental Checkups
Even if you are brushing your teeth regularly, tooth decay can still occur. As decay worsens, it spreads into deeper layers of the tooth, which can lead to pain, infection, and even tooth loss if left untreated.
Preventive dental care reduces these risks by helping you avoid cavities, enamel wear, gum disease, and other common oral health problems.
Dentists also focus on preserving your natural teeth whenever possible, so catching issues early makes treatment simpler and more effective.
During dental visits, you can also mention any changes that don’t look or feel right. For example, tooth sensitivity or bleeding gums may be early signs of gingivitis—a treatable form of early gum disease.
It’s important to visit your dentist regularly for teeth cleanings and oral exams—usually every six months.
Certain factors such as age and oral health problems may require that you visit more often to keep your gums healthy.
Proper Brushing & Flossing Education
It’s crucial to establish good oral hygiene habits at home, to prevent decay and other oral health problems from occurring.
The American Dental Association outlines the basics of good oral health to guide you.
Their advice includes brushing your teeth twice daily with a soft bristled toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste.
They also recommend cleaning between teeth with dental floss or a dental pick to remove trapped food particles.
During your preventive dentistry visit, Dr. Salm will guide you on the best options for your individual needs, including:
- The most effective soft bristled brush for your brushing your teeth
- Which fluoride toothpaste offers the right protections for your teeth
- Mouthwashes or oral rinses that can strengthen enamel and reduce bacteria
Dr. Salm also works with you to build consistent oral hygiene habits as part of a complete preventive dental plan and recommendations of the American Dental Association.
Prescribing Nightguards for Bruxism
Grinding or clenching your teeth at night is known as bruxism. Over time, it can lead to tooth chipping, wear, and cracking.
Nightguards form a barrier between your upper and lower teeth, helping to prevent all that. While over-the-counter nightguards are available, a prescription device from your dentist offers much better protection.
Dr. Salm will take precise dental impressions to create a custom-fit nightguard that is more effective, comfortable, and durable than store-bought versions.
Fluoride Treatments for Stronger, Healthier Teeth
Fluoride helps strengthen tooth enamel through a natural process called remineralization. This process can even reverse the earliest signs of erosion and stop tooth decay.
Depending on your needs, your dentist may recommend prescription-strength toothpaste, fluoride mouthwash, or in-office fluoride treatments.
Each of these options works to protect your teeth from further breakdown.
Dental Sealants for Hard-to-Reach Surfaces
The chewing surfaces of back teeth are rough and uneven because they have small pits and grooves. As a result, food and bacteria can get stuck in these places and stay there until cavities develop.
Fortunately, there’s a fix, and biting surfaces can be protected with dental sealants. This coating makes the tooth surface smoother and easier to clean.
It helps to prevent decay from forming in these hard-to-reach surfaces.
Oral Cancer Screenings for Early Detection
While most patients won’t show signs of oral cancer, detecting it at the earliest stage greatly improves treatment success. During a routine dental checkup, Dr. Salm performs a thorough screening.
This includes a visual exam of your mouth, face, and neck, along with gently checking for lumps, sores, or unusual color changes.
Both Dr. Salm and the dental hygienists are trained to perform these quick, painless exams—giving you reassurance that your oral health is being closely monitored.
Tooth-Saving Root Canal Therapy
This procedure is used to remove infected or damaged pulp from inside your tooth. The pulp is the soft tissue at the center of the tooth that contains nerves and blood vessels.
When it becomes infected due to deep decay or injury, this endodontic treatment is often the only way to save the tooth. More importantly, without this treatment, the infection can spread.
Then, pain and damage can spread outside of the tooth root to the bone, causing bone loss around the tooth and even extending to nearby teeth.
When this happens, you can suffer tooth loss and even loss of the surrounding teeth. It’s best to let the dentist use root canal therapy to avoid complications.
Signs You May Need a Root Canal
- Persistent toothache or pressure
- Mouth pain when chewing or touching the tooth
- Prolonged sensitivity to hot or cold
- Swollen or tender gums near the affected tooth
Guidance on Food and Drinks That Cause Dental Erosion
A balanced diet leads to healthy teeth and gums. And what you eat or drink can directly impact your oral health.
As a part of a comprehensive preventive dentistry plan, you may be asked to avoid acidic foods and drinks that cause dental erosion.
Foods that are high in acids or sugars and lead to erosion risk include:
- Acidic Drinks – Bacteria in your mouth feed on sugary food and drinks. Acidic drinks like sugary sodas produce acid-producing bacteria, while carbonation and added acids lower the pH in your mouth. Both of these effects demineralize and weaken tooth enamel.
- Fruit Juice – Even juices marketed as healthy, such as apple or orange juice, are high in natural sugars and acids that wear away enamel when consumed often.
- Chewing Gum – The sugar in gum, even sugar-free gum, can bathe your teeth in sugars. To prevent cavities from forming, it’s best to refrain from chewing gum.
- Citrus Fruits – Citrus fruits, such as lemons, oranges, and grapefruit, soften and wear away tooth enamel. That’s because of the citric acid they contain, which makes them highly acidic.
- Sugary Snacks – Candy, cookies, and other sweets encourage bacterial growth and acid production, which accelerates erosion and cavity risk.
Your dentist can give you dietary guidance and tips to help lessen or avoid acid attacks on your teeth.
For instance, they may say to avoid sugary foods or that you wash your mouth out with water each time you drink sugary soft drinks.
Managing Health Conditions and Risk Factors
Certain health conditions, such as eating disorders or dry mouth, can contribute to dental erosion and tooth decay.
Also, previous radiation therapy used to treat head and neck cancer can lead to gum recession.
Be sure to share your health history during regular oral exams so your dentist can customize preventive dental care to protect your teeth.
Pediatric Preventive Dental Care
Besides preventive dentistry services for adults, Smiles for Miles also offers the same preventive services for small children.
Issues with their teeth can develop quickly, and they often can’t explain what’s bothering them. Cavities and tooth decay can have a serious impact, even for kids who don’t have permanent teeth yet.
In the very early stages, cavities can be reversed.
Here’s how we can help parents avoid pediatric dental issues:
- Wipe their baby’s teeth after bottle feeding to prevent developing tooth decay. Often called “baby bottle tooth decay”, this is the way to prevent it.
- By diagnosing a painful tooth abscess in 2-year-olds.
Routine oral exams and professional cleanings are especially important for catching these issues early and supporting healthy smiles as children grow.
Dr. Salm and his team focus on preventive dental services for kids by:
- Monitoring growth
- Removing plaque through teeth cleanings
- Guiding families on healthy routines at home.
These visits not only protect your child’s smile but also set the foundation for a lifetime of good oral health.
Patient Education is Key to Good Oral Hygiene
As you can see, actions including daily brushing with a fluoride-containing toothpaste and maintaining a healthy diet matter.
Even more important is scheduling regular oral exams and professional cleanings. These are key to excellent dental health.
Dr. Salm is a firm believer that education through regular dental visits is the foundation of prevention. When you understand your oral health, you can make better decisions about your care.
Whether you’re choosing between treatment options or just learning how to improve your brushing technique, Dr. Salm will:
- Walk you through every step of your exam or treatment
- Offer personalized advice based on your dental history and goals
- Provide honest, pressure-free recommendations
You’ll always have the information you need to make confident choices—with support from a team you can trust.
Start Your Preventive Care Journey Today
Protect your smile and invest in your health with expert preventive dentistry at Smiles for Miles Dentistry. Refer to the 5 Signs You Need to Visit a Dentist Immediately to head off emergencies.
We’re here to help you avoid dental problems before they start—and keep your teeth and gums in great shape for years to come.
📞 Call (262) 548-3555 or schedule your next checkup online. Let’s take a proactive step toward a healthier smile—together.