Preventive dentistry can save you time and money

An alarming number of children suffer from dental cavities and unfortunately what people do not understand is that this is preventable in most cases with good oral hygiene and regular dental check- up. It is important to understand that proactive preventive oral check up with your family dentist can help you keep major dental issues like tooth decay and gum diseases at bay.
As per a WHO published report, 60–90% of school children globally had some kind of a dental cavity. Good news is that 90% of dental cavities can be prevented by following superior oral hygiene by brushing and flossing twice a day, using an antibacterial mouth wash to prevent occurrence or re-occurrence of plaque and tartar. Additionally, one can also adopt healthier eating habits like — avoiding frequent snacking, eating tooth-healthy food such as fruits/vegetables and most importantly scheduling regular visit to your dentist, at least once in six months.
Preventive dentistry really means preventing people from developing dental complications with regular check-up and good oral hygiene one can avoid or reduce the effects of the following:

Caries
Plaque and tarter formation.

Enamel loss
Gum-related problems such as bleeding gum, receding gums and gum diseases.

Oral cancer
Everyone can benefit from preventive dentistry. It works particularly well in case of children, as early intervention and prevention helps their newly developing permanent teeth to stay stronger and healthier. As part of preventive dental care, your dentist might recommend you to get dental sealants. Dental sealants are very thin plastic like coating painted onto the chewing surfaces of the back teeth, or molars. Sealants cover the teeth surface and form a barrier that protects teeth and prevents food and bacteria from getting trapped there. As I mentioned before with superior oral hygiene one can massively decrease the chance of getting cavities, gingivitis, periodontitis, and other dental problems. Additionally, it also can reduce the impact of secondary problems caused by poor oral health such as oral cancer, diabetes, heart-related disease, sleep apnoea and even premature birth and low birth weight. While preventive dentistry may not promise you can get complete relief from dental cavities, root canals, or dental implants, however, it will certainly go a long way in reducing damaging impact of these on your teeth and more importantly on your pocket. Research has also proven that children who regularly visit dentist from a very young age tend to have reduced fear to dental appointments. It is important to remember that your oral health is connected to your overall well-being of your mind and body. As human mouth is a breeding ground for harmful bacteria, investing in preventive dental care can benefit your overall general health.

Dr Siju George is Specialist Orthodontist at Wassan Specialty Dental Center. Visit wassandental.com