Have you ever heard the saying, ‘an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of the cure’?
It’s wise advice, and one of the founding principles of good oral health. However, preventative dental care is a bit more than brushing and flossing twice day – here’s what you need to know.
The aim of preventative dentistry
Although dentists are capable of working wonders with rotten, broken, discoloured or otherwise damaged teeth, it’s always better to avoid these problems in the first place. Getting treatment should be a last resort and not your back up plan for poor dental care.
The goal of preventative dentistry is to keep cavities, gum disease and other common conditions away, or to catch them in the early stages before they have the chance to significantly damage your smile.
Preventative dentistry includes both at-home dental practices and professional treatment, which combined help you maintain a healthy smile.
Preventative dentistry will ensure you keep smiling!What does preventative dentistry involve?
There are several different forms of preventative dentistry:
- Proper everyday care.
Your everyday dental hygiene is a form of preventative dentistry. Brushing and flossing correctly and frequently are a vital part of keeping problems at bay. - Regular dental check ups.
Visiting your dentist to catch problems early is another important factor in preventing dental health issues. - Fissure sealants.
You can take preventative dentistry a step further by requesting certain treatments from your dentist. Fissure sealants are one form of preventative dentistry that not only help you to avoid dental problems, but can save you money by helping you to avoid costly treatments. A resin coating on your teeth, fissure sealants add another layer of protection to your teeth by covering surface grooves and pits. By smoothing out the surface of your teeth, fissure sealants ensure that food particles and bacteria are not getting trapped in the hard-to-clean fissures, where they can cause tooth decay. If you’re worried about tooth decay and want to take proactive steps to protect your pearly whites, fissure sealants might be the solution for you. - Education.
Preventative dentistry also means putting in place good oral care routines from an early age. You can start teaching your children about dental care from the time their first tooth erupts – this can save them many dental visits later in life.
Start teaching the importance of preventing dental problems from a young age.If you have any questions regarding preventative dentistry, feel free to make an appointment with us to come and chat about the good health of your teeth.