If you change nothing, nothing changes. This little bit of wisdom can be applied to your oral health.
Prevention is better than cure!
Great oral hygiene, having a nutritious diet and living a healthy lifestyle are habits which make a huge impact on your overall well being. We say many times a day that “prevention is better than cure”, and I’m sure you’d agree. Seeing a dentist and oral health therapist regularly will help maintain your teeth and gums. We can give you tips and recommendations on how to brush, floss and products to use to help prevent oral decay causing toothaches.
Obtain a treatment plan
Although we do aim for prevention, if damage has already been done we can certainly help you get your teeth and gums back into a healthy state. It’s not uncommon for people who haven’t been to a dentist for many years to need significant treatment to restore them to oral health. Coming in to have a treatment plan is the first proactive step your taking to better your teeth whether cosmetically or functionally.
Nothing lasts
forever
Once teeth have been filled unfortunately it’s not a maintenance-free solution. Fillings, like anything artificial, do not last forever. The life-span of fillings can depend on multiple factors. It is vital that you look after your fillings once they have been placed. If cavities have been caused by poor oral hygiene, smoking, and a high sugar/acid diet, to prevent further problems lifestyle habits need to change.
In a hostile environment, fillings won’t last very long at all. More cavities will quickly form if diet and oral hygiene are no
t changed and healthy habits maintained. As dental professionals, we can only help you while you are here: what you continue to do at home makes the biggest impact on future dental treatment needs.
Maintain your mouth
Once a treatment plan has been completed and your mouth is healthy, it is extremely important to then return regularly for active maintenance (AM). AM is routinely an examination with your dentist and a professional cleaning with our oral health therapist. If you change nothing in regards to lifestyle habits and dental visits, then nothing changes and its very likely to see large and costly treatment plans needed again in the future.
It makes our day when our patients ask about how to maintain teeth at home and we can give great tips, and suggest the products that will work the best for you.
Look after your smile
I like to think of dental treatment and maintenance like having your car serviced. If your leave it too long, things start to just fall apart. To keep anything in good condition it needs to be looked after so why would you treat your chompers any differently?
We love to help out and get patients mouths back into tip-top shape but the relationship between dentist and patient needs to be a long term commitment, not a quick fix. Returning for regular exams and professional cleaning is for everyone, forever.
By Jennay Obst
Cert IV Dental Assistant
