BENEFITS OF PREVENTIVE DENTISTRY

Preventive dentistry aims to stop dental ailments before they start. Preventive dentistry requires collaboration between dentists and their patients. The common methods include brushing every day, flossing at least twice a day, and having regular dental visits. The dentist will do their part during the regular consultations.

Below are some specific benefits of preventive dentistry.

Avoiding Dental Complications

The premier benefit of preventive dentistry is that it allows you to catch dental ailments early. Early detection and diagnosis lead to early treatment, which helps to avoid dental complications. For example, preventive dentistry can help your dentist to detect:

• Receding gums
• Emerging bone loss
• Emerging enamel erosion

Detecting these problems early can help the dentist plan treatment before the issues worsen. For example: 

• Early treatment of gum disease can help you avoid teeth loss or bone damage
• Early management of bone loss can help you avoid the need for bone grafting in the future
• Early treatment of enamel erosion can help prevent dental caries

In short, every dental treatment can worsen if given time.

Saving Money

Preventive dentistry saves you money in two main ways. First, preventive dentistry keeps dental ailments at bay, which reduces your trips to the dentist for treatment. For example, a dental exam can cost you anything from $50 to $150 before the actual treatment costs. Daily flushing and brushing can reduce the number of such trips.

Secondly, preventive dentistry prevents dental complications. Complicated dental ailments cost more to treat than simple ailments. For example, teeth cleaning can cost around . That figure is much less than you would spend to replace a lost tooth, which can occur due to poor dental hygiene.

Minimizing Treatment Pain and Discomfort

Many people overestimate pain and discomfort during dental treatments. However, some discomfort is inevitable with some forms of treatment. Fortunately, preventive dentistry can help you avoid or minimize pain and discomfort.

For example, routine dental cleaning doesn't cost much discomfort. However, ignoring such forms of preventive dentistry might necessitate more invasive treatments in the future, such as root canal treatment. 

Dealing With Other Medical Problems

Regular dental exams, part of preventive dentistry, can help you detect signs of ailments on other parts of the body. Your mouth and body are connected. Ailments on other parts of your body can affect your oral cavity, and oral cavity problems can spread to other parts of your body.

For example, oral bacteria can get into your bloodstream and cause inflammation in other parts of the body. Inflammations can trigger or worsen medical problems, including cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. Another example is osteoporosis, which affects your bones and teeth. You may be able to get early treatment if your dentist spots relevant signs during examination.

Saving Time

Dental treatments take time. The more complicated your problem is, the longer you may need to get adequate treatment. Some treatments even require multiple appointments. You also have to deal with follow-up dental care. Preventive dentistry reduces the need for dental treatment and frees up your time for other activities. 

Maintaining Attractive Teeth

Preventive dentistry can also help you maintain attractive teeth. For example, wearing mouth guards will protect your teeth and avoid broken, lost, or cracked teeth. Regular brushing and flossing will help you minimize dental discoloration. Many people feel self-confident and attractive with beautiful and bright smiles.

Carlino & Paton, DDS PC, believes in preventive dentistry, but we also understand that you cannot prevent all dental problems. Thus, we welcome you to our dental facility whether you need to prevent or treat dental problems. Contact us for a consultation and benefit from our patient-centered services.