Brushing and flossing should already be part of your oral health routine but there are other ways to ensure you maintain your oral health.

Preventative Dentistry

Preventive dentistry is often seen as the modern way of reducing the amount of dental treatment needed to maintain a healthy mouth and to help you keep your teeth.

The two major causes of tooth loss are decay and gum disease.  The better we deal with these problems the more chance people have of keeping their teeth for life.

There are many types of preventive treatment such as:

• Regular check ups with the Dentist are always recomended as, in our experience, patients who attend regular check ups tend to need less treatment.  Regular check ups are vital to maintain good oral health and hygiene.  They can also aid in the prevention of extensive treatments by diagnosing problems early on and treating them before it gets to that stage.

• Regular hygiene appointments can help to stabilise gum problems, as well as helping by cleaning those parts we might miss ourselves during our daily cleanng routines.  The Hygienist will show you the best methods of brushing and flossing to remove the bacterial ‘plaque’ which forms constantly on your teeth and gums. When you eat or drink something sugary, the plaque turns the sugar into acid, which will cause tooth decay if not cleaned properly.  The Hygienist will give you dental cleaning advice to help you maintain healthy gums and remove any plaque which can also cause gum inflammation if it is not regularly and thoroughly removed. The hard tartar (calculus) which builds up on the teeth also starts off as plaque.

• Diet advice to prevent tooth decay can be provided by your Dentist at your check up appointment.

• Pit and fissure sealants can help to prevent decay to back teeth by covering the biting surfaces of the teeth to protect them from decay forming in the pits and grooves. These make the tooth surface smoother and easier to clean, stopping decay starting in the difficult to clean areas.

• Crowns on heavily restored or root filled back teeth can help to stop them from crumbling or breaking.

• Fluoride treatments can be offered to patients who are susceptible to tooth decay.

• During your routine check up, your dentist will also ensure all your fillings are in good repair and there are no rough edges which may make cleaning difficult.

For further information, please contact the Practice as we have many publications available from the British Dental Health Foundation  which may be of use to you.  These include leaflets on:

•     Dental Implants
•     Dental Care for Mother and Baby
•     Tooth whitening
•     My fear of the Dentist
•     Helpful tips to keep your gums healthy
•     Children’s Teeth
•     Preventive Care and Oral Hygiene

We also have many more which can be posted to you on request.