Prevention is better than cure – our parents, guardians, and teachers taught this to us to ensure we realized the importance of maintaining good health. Prevention dentistry also focuses on preventing dental issues rather than looking at ways to cure them. At the heart of preventive dentistry is the belief that if one follows all the important steps of maintaining good oral hygiene, several dental issues can be prevented.
Why do I need preventive dentistry?
If you speak to any of the dentists in Unionville or surrounding regions of Markham, they’ll tell you that most of the dental issues that their clients experience result from poor oral hygiene. Failing to brush and floss teeth regularly and skipping dental visits explains the increase in dental emergency cases in Markham. People don’t maintain oral hygiene and ignore their dental health until it creates major issues for them. Instead of relying on cure to treat dental ailments, preventive dentistry focuses on taking care of one’s teeth so the risk of developing a major disease diminishes.
What does preventive dentistry include?
Preventive dentistry generally includes the following:
• Regular brushing and flossing
• Healthy diet
• Patient education
• Fluoride use
• Routine dental visits
• Injury protection
Regular brushing and flossing – Brushing your teeth twice everyday and flossing at least once helps remove plaque from the teeth. If you don’t brush or floss regularly, plaque can build up inside your mouth to create tartar – an acid producing bacteria that causes tooth decay and gum disease. An important thing to remember is that while many people make it a point to brush twice a day, the duration for which they brush is often less than a minute. Most dentists in Markham recommend that one should brush for at least two minutes.
Healthy diet – In addition to regular brushing and flossing, having a healthy diet also plays a major role in preventive dentistry. Eating cheese, chicken, nuts, and meat protects tooth enamel while chocolates and carbonated soft drinks increase the risk of tooth decay and gum diseases. Eating a healthy diet not only benefits dental health but also works wonders for your overall health.
Patient education – People who are aware about the consequences of poor oral hygiene are more likely to take their dental health seriously. Educating people through public forums, media, and other avenues instils excellent oral hygiene habits and ensures they make an informed decision on their dental health.
Fluoride use – For more than half a century, fluoride has been used as a defence against tooth decay. Markham’s water comes from Lake Ontario and is treated to make it safe for drinking and other public use. Addition of fluoride in Markham’s water works as a preventive measure for the entire community. Fluoride is also present in toothpastes, gels, and foams.
Routine dental visits – Many dental problems don’t have any major signs or symptoms until they reach an advanced stage. Therefore, it is important to visit a dentist every six months to detect any problems while they are at a nascent stage. Dentists have the tools and equipment to carry out a complete dental check-up and prevent dental ailments from reaching a serious stage.
Injury protection – Even if you maintain good oral hygiene, an injury suffered due to an accident can seriously affect your dental health. Therefore, it’s important that you take appropriate care to save your teeth from injuries. It is advisable to wear a mouth guard while playing outdoor sports. Wearing a helmet when riding a bike also helps prevent serious injuries.
There are a number of reputed dental services in Markham that teach the importance of preventive dentistry to their patients. There is also a plethora of information available on the internet that you can read to get more information about preventive dentistry. You can do you bit to raise awareness about preventive dentistry by sharing this article with your loved ones.