Your Preventative Dentist Does More Than Just Braces

The perception most of us have of the preventative dentist is that this is a person who puts on braces. Because of this image, this is one of the people we fear most in the whole world. Nobody wants to have to endure years of their childhood with a mouth full of metal. However, this type of dental professional does much more than this these days. And furthermore, there are lots of much better options available when teeth do need to be straightened.

Patient Education

A big part of what a preventative dentist does is to educate their patients. More than visits to the dental clinic, it is your at-home brushing and flossing that's going to determine the health of your teeth. They spend a lot of time teaching you proper brushing methods, as well as advising on lifestyle choices that will promote better dental health. They may recommend changing diets, cutting down on coffee or quitting smoking. This education is also given to parents. From the minute teeth first appearing, it is essential to care for a child's teeth properly.

Regular Check-Ups

You don't go to see the preventative dentist just for corrective surgery. You should make it to the clinic at least twice a year for routine check-ups. During these visits, they'll perform screenings and x-rays looking for any potential problems. Early detection and treatment is the best solution. They'll also give you a nice, thorough teeth cleaning that will make you want to smile at everybody after you get out of the chair. Again, these visits are important for adults, but they're essential for kids. Part of this professional's job is to make sure that your children's teeth are developing properly.

Treatments

There are lots of treatments that a preventative dentist can perform other than just braces. They can give you mouth guards to protect your teeth if you're an avid football player. They can fix crooked teeth and problems with spacing. For this treatment, there are now lots of alternatives to metal braces such as invisible braces that use thin plastic wires instead of the hunk of metal. These dentists also offer sealants that can be used to protect the teeth from decay or cover up blemishes. Basically, they offer every service most people need to make their teeth healthy as well as cosmetically pleasing.

Prevention Is Key

Just as the name suggests, the goal of a preventative dentist is to keep bad things from happening to your smile before they begin. This includes protecting your teeth from tooth decay, cavities, gum disease and lots of other problems that cost a great deal of money to fix. Dental surgery comes at a pretty high price tag and it's not always covered by your standard health insurance. The money you spend making your regular check-ups is an investment against future problems.

In other words, your two visits a year to the preventative dentist can be all that you need to ensure a whole lifetime of healthy teeth and gums with no major corrective surgery. And that's something that you can really smile about!