Most patients who hear they need root canal treatment in DuPont immediately feel a stroke of anxiety or fear. If this is something that you’d rather avoid, the best way to keep infection at bay is with good at-home oral hygiene and routine preventive care from your dental team. But what exactly is preventive dentistry, and how does it help you avoid the need for more extensive treatments like root canal therapy?
What is Preventive Dentistry?
Preventive dentistry does exactly what you think it would! It helps prevent worsening dental health problems with routine care aimed at diagnosing and treating issues as early as possible. These services often include the following:
- Bi-annual checkups and cleanings
- Fluoride treatments
- Tooth-colored fillings
- Nightguards for bruxism
- Oral cancer screenings
Each of these services helps address harmful habits and plaque and tartar build-up, which are some of the most common reasons why dental issues like cavities and gum disease develop.
How Does Preventive Dentistry Help Prevent the Need for Root Canals?
Root canals may be recommended in a number of situations and are aimed at addressing tooth infections, which develop when the pulp of teeth (a collection of nerves and tissue) becomes exposed to harmful oral bacteria.
In a healthy tooth, the pulp is safely housed in the inner chamber and protected by several layers. When a tooth is cracked or decay has eroded those layers of protection, it makes way for bacteria to enter the inner chamber and infect the nerves and soft tissue. This is what causes the infamous toothache that often precedes a root canal.
Preventive dental care like checkups and cleanings and nightguards can help prevent cracked and decayed teeth and spot the early signs of common issues that lead to tooth infection. This allows you to receive less invasive treatments to nip the problems in the bud, like tooth-colored fillings.
How Can Preventive Dentistry Save You Money?
Preventive dentistry is covered at a higher rate than more extensive procedures like root canal treatment by dental insurance plans. Most plans go by a 100-80-50 coverage structure, where preventive checkups and cleanings are 100 percent covered, basic services like cavity fillings are 80 percent covered, and major procedures like root canal treatment are 50 percent covered. Because of this, it’s much less costly to visit the dentist regularly and prevent issues from progressing than waiting to address serious issues down the road.
About the Practice
At DuPont Family Dentistry, we strive to provide the highest quality, affordable dental care to our patients. We are proudly in-network with several major PPO dental insurance plans and will file out-of-network claims on our patients’ behalf as well. To learn more about what your dental insurance covers and how to maximize your benefits before the end of the year, visit our website or call 253-964-7000.