None of us want to hear this while we’re procrastinating, but most unpleasant, expensive, and time-consuming issues can be prevented with minimal foresight and preparation. This is especially true of oral health, where simple preventive care can be the difference between long-term dental and periodontal health and a frustrating cycle of pain, expense, and inconvenience.
So, how can you go about ensuring optimal, stress-free oral health? Read on!
The Power of Regular Dental Cleanings and Solid At-Home Care
Preventive care includes the seemingly small steps we take every day that avert painful and time-consuming issues later. Where oral health is concerned, these include:
- Robust at-home oral hygiene practices — Brushing and flossing at least twice a day and regular rinses with antibacterial mouthwash help prevent the buildup of tooth decay and gum disease-causing plaque and tartar.
- A healthy diet — Avoid foods high in acids and processed sugars and focus on a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
- Avoid tobacco — Smoking and smokeless tobacco increase the risk of gum disease and make it more challenging to treat.
- Regular dental visits—Routine checkups and cleanings allow your dentist to monitor and assess your oral health and identify and preemptively treat minor issues before they develop into major threats like gum disease or advanced tooth decay.
The Importance of Regular Dental Visits
Even the best at-home oral hygiene practices cannot comprehensively clean every corner of a person’s mouth or offset the wear and tear from daily use. Regular dental checkups — about every six months, unless you’re advised otherwise by a dentist — allow your dentist to assess the overall state of your oral health, address minor issues before they become big problems, and preemptively screen for oral cancers.
These dedicated visits are crucial to maintaining a radiant smile and day-to-day quality of life, mitigating the risk of painful issues, and the need for complex, invasive emergency measures, like root canal therapy, in the future.
Top-Quality Oral Exams and Teeth Cleaning in Burnaby, BC
If you are in Burnaby and want to take every possible measure to ensure a lifetime of healthy and robust smiles and bites without any unwanted complications, contact Dr. Roger Chan and the excellent Central Park Dental Clinic team to schedule your next appointment!