La Jolla Center for Holistic Dentistry is equipped and ready to handle any dental issue you may encounter in San Diego, whether it is an oral injury, disease or infection, or some other problem. Our goal is to help our patients reach and maintain good oral health. However, we prefer that they avoid facing any dental problems in the first place. We believe in preventive care, taking care of the teeth, and gums in a way to prevent dental issues from developing.

What is preventive dentistry?

While restorative dentistry treats problems to restore health to the teeth and cosmetic dentistry addresses the physical appearance of the teeth, preventive dentistry does what the name suggests – prevents problems from happening in the first place so that no treatment will be necessary. This is a good path to take for the health of your mouth. For one thing, it’ll help keep the mouth healthier overall not to have been affected by any issues like cavities or gum disease.

Additionally, no treatment is much cheaper than even the most affordable restorative treatment.

What are some practices in preventive dentistry?

Much of the responsibility lies with the patient in preventive dentistry. We are happy to provide guidance at our dentistry in San Diego, but it’s up to our patients, both adults and children, to keep up with these habits to best promote their oral health. These are some good steps to add to an oral care routine to practice preventive dentistry.

• Brush twice a day: It’s recommended that you brush twice a day (generally once in the morning and once before bed) for about two minutes each time to sufficiently clean the teeth of plaque and debris. Children should be supervised as they are learning how to brush their teeth until you are confident that there is no danger of swallowing toothpaste.
• Floss daily: Flossing removes any leftover plaque or debris from in between the teeth that brushing can miss. Brushing and flossing regularly gives you your best chance at preventing cavities and gum disease from developing.
• Maintain regular dental visits: You and your family should visit your dentist at La Jolla Center for Holistic Dentistry twice a year for an exam and cleaning. This is a chance to rid the mouth completely of harmful substances and to check on the health of the teeth and gums.