An ounce of prevention means less visits to the dentist.

Instead of waiting until treatment is needed to relieve pain, patients are encouraged to seek regular dental treatment to prevent pain from ever beginning.

Preventive care is just that, preventing tooth decay, gum disease and the loss of teeth. Regular check-ups, necessary fluoride treatments, and the use of sealants are all considered part of preventive care. While restorative treatment to correct dental problems can take several appointments to complete, preventive care usually takes only one visit.

Preventive care procedures maintain or improve your oral health, and having sealants placed on children's molars is faster, easier and less costly than fillings. But more importantly, suffering from painful gums and teeth can be avoided with regular maintenance care.

Nutrition is equally important in keeping teeth and gums healthy. In combination with regular visits to your dentist, a healthy diet can help avoid many health related problems. Links have been discovered between good oral health and a person's general health, and new research is showing that bacteria may cause heart attacks and strokes. People with gum disease can be especially susceptible to such problems due to bacteria in the mouth having easy access to the bloodstream through weakened gums. Weakened gums can also lead to loss of teeth which can inhibit your ability to eat and to speak properly, and having good, healthy teeth encourages us to smile more often.