Everyone can appreciate a pretty smile. And no one wants teeth that hurt or don't work well. In order to maintain our teeth and the supporting gum and bone areas in the best condition they can be, PREVENTION is the key. As adults we know that we have to watch our health. What we often don't realize is that our teeth need regular maintenance like a car - except that we can't trade in our teeth for any that are nearly as good. But like a car, if neglected, teeth will need repairs, and that can become time consuming and expensive.

Also for those of you who have little ones whose health and comfort we all care about, we can provide motivational stickers that can be helpful in conjunction with our instructions for encouraging the proper dental care habits in children.

Q: What's a Sensible Dental Care Program?
A: One that costs the least, and results in your best appearance, comfort and health.

Q: That sounds great, but my teeth are fine. Why worry about my dental care at all?
A: If your teeth really are fine, that's good. But just because they don't hurt doesn't mean that they are healthy and won't cause you problems later on. Unless you have had some kind of accident, dental problems don't usually happen suddenly, but are the result of slower processes. The only way to know that your teeth really are fine is to visit your dentist on a regular basis.

Q: Why can't I just wait until I have a problem and then go to the dentist?
A: Even with all the advances that have made modern dentistry more comfortable and effective, there are very few cases where dental restorations (fillings, crowns, bridges, false teeth, etc.) are as desirable as having the original equipment that mother nature intended. In other words, the better condition you can keep your teeth, the better they will look, feel and work effectively. The proper emphasis for dental care should be on prevention of tooth problems rather than repairing problems due to neglect. In addition, waiting "until it hurts" usually results in a tooth-related pain that more often than not occurs at the most inopportune time.

Q: Prevention? Does that mean just brushing well?
A: Brushing properly with the right kind of toothbrush is part of proper daily dental maintenance, but that's not enough to keep your teeth healthy for a life-time. Flossing is the other part of at-home dental care. Twice a year you should have a check-up with your dentist to insure that you are taking care of your teeth well enough at home, and to stop small problems before they have a chance to become big problems.

Q: But if something doesn't hurt, how can I be sure that it should be taken care of?
A: Your dentist is a professional who cares for you and your dental health. His suggestions regarding dental care are given solely for the benefit of maintaining your oral health and enabling you to keep your own teeth in their best shape for as long as possible.

Q: But all these visits to the dentist, won't that get expensive? Wouldn't it be cheaper just to wait?
A: No. Definitely not. The costs of cleaning, check-ups and minor restorative care will only cost a few dollars every six months. But waiting longer than six months between visits to your dentist is asking for dental bills that could be hundreds of dollars. It is the old story of pay me now or pay me later - and paying for check-ups is much cheaper than paying to have your teeth rebuilt. Again, there is the added fact that the teeth that mother nature gave you are a design that's hard to improve on, and your original teeth can work and feel better than our best efforts to replace them after they've been abused and neglected.

Q: Brushing, flossing, dental check-ups every six months, what else should I do as part of my Sensible Dental Care Program?
A: Eat the right kinds of foods. Children should have plenty of milk and other foods rich in calcium for strong teeth. Everyone should avoid excessive sweets which tend to encourage tooth problems. For snacks eat peanuts, cheese, fruits and vegetables. Sensible eating rounds out the Sensible Dental Care plan.

Q: That seems simple and reasonable. Could you summarize the whole plan?
A: I never thought you'd ask.

Sensible Dental Care Summary 1.) Brush twice daily, in the morning and before bed, and floss before the night-time brushing. 2.) Save money by having dental check-ups every six months. Preventing problems is cheaper than fixing them. 3.) Eat the right kinds of foods that will make you healthy and not harm your teeth. 4.) Be certain that children are seen regularly to catch minor problems before they become major ones.

©1999 Gary J. Sinar, D.D.S.
Designed by oeonline.com