Dentistry has changed immensely over the last 25 years. Not only has the equipment, products and services changed but so has the manner in which we provide dental treatment.
In the past 25 years there has been a complete shift from reactive to preventative dentistry.
Currently dentistry is very much prevention oriented. This means that instead of reacting to a problem/disease when it is far advanced, the dental treatment we provide is aimed to prevent dental problems/disease before they start or at least before they have a chance to cause irreversible damage. With the prevention oriented model of care comes better outcomes – ultimately prevention of disease and people keeping their teeth for life.
When you attend your dental appointment every 3, 4 or 6 months (based on your dentists recommendations) to see your dentist and dental hygienist they are examining your oral cavity for early signs of disease. These early warning signs can allow us to treat a disease process prior to it taking hold and causing destruction. At times, some forms of dental disease can even be reversed.
It is important to follow the schedule recommended by your dentist or hygienist because every person is a bit different when it comes to how fast plaque builds up on their teeth. If you are one of the lucky ones you can come less often but don’t assume that because another member of your family or friends can wait 6 months that you can too.