Childrens Preventative Dental Care & Checkups - Virginia Beach | Norfolk | Chesapeake
As the old saying goes, “A stitch in time saves nine,” or “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Preventive dentistry is no exception, and it is more than just cleanings and checkups.
Prevention starts with education — for both children and parents — on everything from how to care for your teeth, to nutrition, to sports safety, and even child psychology! At Coastal Pediatric Dental & Anesthesia, our team would love nothing more than to give every child a high five for a cavity-free visit.
However, prevention is not just for healthy teeth. Previously, dentists thought that fluoride was only to prevent cavities and that even the smallest (incipient) cavities needed fillings. In today’s age of fluoride varnish, when cavities are caught early in their incipient stage, cavities can be arrested and even reversed with regular fluoride treatments and impeccable hygiene.
Finally, preventive dentistry is the most important treatment after receiving a filling. Without changes in behavior, more cavities will form on other teeth or around the filling. Often times, parents will tell us about “bad” or “soft” teeth running in the family. However, this is no different from diabetes, high blood pressure, or heart disease. Changes in behavior, nutrition, and prevention can overcome these family dispositions.