Prevention is key to great oral health

You want to hang on to your teeth for as long as possible, don’t you? We all do. And certainly, the dentist in Mackay would like you to have a full mouth of your own teeth right through your life.

That’s why, here at Northern Beaches Dental in Mackay, we place a great deal of importance on what is known as preventive dentistry. Prevention is better than cure, after all. It is also often a whole lot more cost-effective too.

What are we trying to prevent?

The 2 leading causes of tooth loss are decay and gum disease. Both are caused by a particular bacterium that lives in the mouth. It clings to the surfaces of the mouth, including the teeth, and builds up in sticky layers that harden into something that looks like chalk. We call it plaque.

Plaque gives off acids that eat away the tooth enamel, creating holes for decay to get in through. It also attacks the gum, irritating and inflaming them until they pull away from the teeth. Then the plaque gets underneath and the acids eat away at the jawbone and tooth root, causing infection and loose teeth.

The end game for decay and gum disease is tooth loss. It’s what the dentist in Mackay is trying to prevent.

Check-ups and scales and polishes

These are the cornerstones of all preventive work at the dentist in Mackay. We use your 6-montly check-up to look for decay and gum disease in their early stages. The scale and polish with the hygienist is there to remove any build-up of plaque and tartar, which is inevitable.

Prevention in children

The dentist in Mackay can help prevent decay in children’s teeth by painting the back teeth with sealants that form a barrier that stops plaque making holes in their still-soft tooth enamel. Children are more likely to suffer from decay as they are still learning how to brush their teeth.

Your part in prevention

Your part in this is to brush and floss diligently and also to make sure you come along for your check-ups. Do that, and as a team, we stand a great chance of making sure you keep your teeth for life.