Prevent major dental issues with regular dental care and good oral habits

Believe it or not, but not all dentists are out just to see how much money they can make out of you, some of them really care for you and your oral health! So when your dentist says to come in every 6 months or so, there is a reason for this…

Seeing your dentist regularly and taking proper care of your teeth and gums is the best way to help prevent tooth decay, gum disease and other serious problems from affecting your oral and general health.

If you only visit your dentist when you already have a toothache, bleeding gums or other symptoms of an oral health condition, it may already be too late to save your tooth and stop infections from spreading.

Most oral health problems are preventable. If a problem does develop, catching it at an early stage means it will be easier and less expensive to treat, not to mention helping you avoid all that pain and discomfort.

What does preventative dental care involve?

When you visit Corne Smith Dentistry, we advise that preventative care for your oral health be done in these two stages.

1. Comprehensive dental check-up

Your dentist and hygienist will examine your mouth in detail, looking for any signs of dental cavities, gum disease and other dental diseases as well as any other issues you may have with your bite, your temporomandibular joint (TMJ) or teeth grinding.

Your examination also includes digital radiography (x-rays) to give us a more in-depth look at your mouth and an oral cancer screening. We will discuss the results of your check-up as well as your dental plan ahead.

2. Dental cleaning

It’s also important that any dental plaque and stains are removed from your teeth to reduce the risk of problems occurring. As well as removing these deposits, the fluoride solution we use will also help to strengthen your teeth by protecting them against bacteria and further decay.

How often should I visit the dentist?

For most people, we recommend that you visit your dentist every six months. This interval is usually enough to catch most oral health problems before they have a chance to progress.

If you’re at higher risk of getting an oral health disease, we may recommend that you visit us every three or four months so we can keep a closer watch on your oral health.

The more often you visit your dentist, the less chance there is that you’ll need an extensive dental procedure later on.

Start the new year with a clean slate, book your appointment with Corne Smith Dentistry in Cape Town, Claremont today and be proactive in your preventative oral care.