There is a common saying: “it is always cheaper to prevent an illness than to treat it.” This is particularly true of oral health. Regular visits to your local dental office, combined with diligent brushing and flossing can ensure that any issues are caught early on before they become more serious, and require invasive and expensive procedures. In addition, catching and treating dental problems as they occur can often prevent the spread of harmful bacteria that could impact other areas of your body.
Family dentists focus on prevention by promoting good oral hygiene practices and offering a wide range of treatments to keep your teeth and gums healthy. They can perform routine dental cleanings to remove hard-to-reach plaque and tartar that cannot be removed by standard brushing, and provide x-ray examinations to identify the onset of problems such as gum disease or tooth decay. In addition, they may perform other preventive treatments such as dental sealants or fluoride treatments, which can help to strengthen teeth and reduce the risk of cavities.
It is important to visit your family dentist regularly, especially if you have children. In addition to teaching good brushing and flossing techniques, a family dentist can monitor your children’s oral health as they grow, ensuring that their teeth are developing properly. This can help to avoid future dental problems, such as occlusions (when the upper and lower teeth do not fit together correctly), which can cause pain and tooth loss if not treated.
Another benefit of seeing a family dentist is that it can be easier to coordinate appointments for yourself and your family members. By having a single dentist that you see regularly, you can make sure that everyone’s appointment times are convenient and that there is no clashing of schedules.
Preventive treatments are typically covered to a certain extent by most dental insurance plans, and are typically cheaper than addressing an issue after it has developed into something more severe. This is because many preventive services are designed to reduce the risk of a problem occurring, such as a cavity, rather than treating an existing one. For example, dental sealants are a coating that is applied to the teeth and acts as a barrier against food particles and cavity-causing bacteria.
By focusing on prevention, family dentists can help you and your family maintain healthy teeth and gums for life. In addition, the proactive approach of a family dentist can encourage good oral health habits in children, which can have long-lasting benefits, even after they have grown up and moved away from home. This can prevent the emergence of dental problems in their adult years that could have a negative impact on their oral health, and possibly their overall well-being. This is an investment that will pay off in the long run.
