Jones & Jones - "Two Caring Dentists"

Patient Education

Benefits of having regular dental check-ups:

The most important step in dentistry is PREVENTION (unlike the visits you make to your physician when you don't feel well, you go see your dentist when you are fine, free of dental pain, and want to keep it that way!)

Most dental diseases and problems don't show any symptoms and cannot be felt or known by most people. Dental decay can be detected at very early stage, and conservative filling can be done before decay becomes large and cause pain. Decay tooth that was ignored can become larger and deeper, infecting the nerve and eventually kill the tooth.

Gum disease is painless, plaque, tartar build-up on teeth can go undetected, infection can be present for a long time without patient knowing that the gums are red and swollen, causing gum and bone to recede and eventually loosen the teeth. Regular cleaning can prevent gum disease.

Regular dental check-ups are especially important in children, since good habits and dental education need to start at an early age.

During the child's growing stages, many things can go wrong in the formation, the alignment, the position, the growth and development of the teeth and jaws. Early and frequent visits can prevent and correct all of the child's dental problems at the right time (ie. braces, retainers or any other appliances to correct dental problems at the early onset.)

Living tissues change daily, gums and teeth are living tissues and problems can occur without patient's awareness. Problems of cross-bite, oral cancer tissues, benign cysts, calcified deciduous teeth (baby teeth that should come out but don't), tooth and gum abscess.... could occur any time and can be detected by frequent dental visits. Having a record established with one dental office will enable the dentist to treat the problem effectively by knowing the patient's health history and by seeing the patient at least twice yearly.

Each child should have a family dentist who has a good report with the child and parents. To have a familiar dentist to call on in case of emergency is a big advantage. Dental fear has prevent many adults to have the courage to seek dental treatment, thus they end up living with dental pain and bad dental health. Parents can help their children to avoid dental phobia, avoid unnecessary dental pain, and grow up in good dental health by having regular yearly dental exam and cleaning.