What is Preventative Dentistry

Many people avoid going to the dentist until they experience a toothache or some other oral issue. Here at Goochland Dentistry, we advise our patients and all other people to practice preventive dentistry to have the happiest and healthiest smile around. Together, we will look at preventive dentistry, why it is important, and what you can do to help prevent tooth decay and gum diseases before they start.

What is Preventive Dentistry?

Preventive dentistry is when you are proactive in your oral health care. It uses regular dental checkups and good dental habits like flossing and brushing so that you prevent tooth decay and cavities from forming.

Preventive dentistry is different from reactive dentistry in that it helps to prevent the decay from occurring, as opposed to simply treating it once it comes about. Although all dentists are trained to treat tooth decay and cavities, they are also trained at helping you prevent them from ever occurring.

The best way to practice preventive dentistry is to have regular oral exams, regular tooth cleaning, and routine x-rays. Depending on your dental plan, it may cover all preventive care or just some aspects.

Either way, regular oral exams, dental visits, and good oral hygiene are the best ways to practice preventive care for your teeth.

Why is Preventive Dentistry Important?

The answer is rather simple. preventive dentistry saves you money and pain in the future.

Most specifically, preventive dentistry can help you avoid oral issues like periodontal disease, root canals, cavities, crowns, tooth loss, and bridges. All of these illnesses are costly to treat, and they are extremely painful to live with. For this reason, preventive dentistry helps you save money and avoid pain.

preventive care does not just benefit your mouth, though. Recent studies have shown that oral disease is linked to other issues like osteoporosis, heart disease, and cancer. Expectant mothers with oral disease are also often linked to premature birth, and their children experience health challenges in life.

Since oral care can affect literally every part of your health, it is important to put your best foot forward to keep your teeth and gums as healthy as possible. preventive dentistry is the best way to do this.

preventive dentistry keeps your mouth clean so that the bacteria and inflammation do not affect the rest of your body, cause you any pain, or make you spend excessive money on your treatment.

Does Goochland Dentistry Practice preventive Dentistry?

Here at Goochland Dentistry, we are extremely preemptive in our dental care and make it a priority to provide preventive dentistry. We know that our job is to help you prevent tooth decay and other oral illnesses from occurring to help save you money and pain.

Our office provides preventive care for adults and children alike. We are especially careful to offer the best preventive care for children. We know that children’s teeth are more susceptible to decay and need to last a lifetime. We help children practice preventive dentistry so that they don’t have to go through the pain of a toothache or other more serious issues.

Our pediatric preventive dentistry also includes monthly educational and fun sessions for our youngest patients. These events are designed to inform children how to take care of their teeth to avoid any tooth decay.

We know that a lot of preventive dentistry is associated with education on the matter. We arm our young patients with proper education so they can develop lifelong habits for preventive dentistry.

Regardless of age, however, our preventive care can help children and adults alike have the best oral health possible. Our state of the art technology and precise skill means that our preventive dentistry is efficient and pain-free.

Most regular checkups are conducted annually or biannually, but some cases are assessed individually. Most of these appointments are covered by insurance, but our office offers an exclusive Smile Club Membership so that those without dental insurance can get proper preventive care as well.

What Can I Do At Home?

Although regular checkups are one of the most important aspects of preventive dentistry, there are things you can do at home to prevent tooth decay.

Most notably, preventive dentistry starts at home with frequent cleanings, brushings, and flossing. Brush your teeth at least twice a day, but you can brush your teeth more if needed. You should also floss at least once a day, making sure to remove all the plaque and buildup from in between your teeth and around the gumline.

By practicing excellent oral health care at home, you are less likely to get cavities and gum disease. For this reason, preventive dentistry really starts at home, even though regular checkups are one of the biggest staples of preventive care.

Final Thoughts

Preventive care is about protecting your mouth and being proactive so that you can prevent tooth decay and other oral illnesses from developing in your mouth. This will include frequent checkups and good cleaning habits on your own.

By practicing good preventive dentistry, you can help avoid cavities, tooth decay, gum disease, and other health illnesses linked to oral diseases. All around, preventive dentistry helps maximize your health so that you are the happiest and healthiest version of yourself.

To find out more about preventive dentistry or for a dental checkup, contact our offices today.

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