Prevention underpins all our work and is our core value. We feel that any dental work should be carried out with a view to improving the stability of the mouth or within an already stable environment. The two main causes of tooth loss are decay and gum disease. The better you control or prevent these two problems, the more chance you have of keeping your teeth for life. When the dental team and patient work together, this can help prevent the need for treatment – especially fillings and extraction. Education and motivation are the key as success is 90% dependent on the patients own efforts. This is why we [dentists and hygienists] will spend time talking to our patients about their dental health and how to maintain it.

Prevention may include:

• Oral hygiene advice [tooth brushing, flossing]
• Dietary advice
• Tooth wear advice
• Scaling and polishing
• Fluoride application
• Replacing poorly contoured filings and crowns
• Splint therapy to reduce tooth wear in patients who may grind their teeth
• Mouth guards for sport