Prevent decay in Children

What can you do:

i) reduce the frequency of intake of foods or liquids that contain sugar as much as possible

ii) brush the teeth twice daily using fluoride toothpaste of appropriate strength as soon as the teeth appear

iii) see a dentist regularly from the age of about two

What can we do:

 i) Prevention

fissure sealants will protect adult molars when they come through (usually about 6 years of age)

fluoride gel applications to the teeth

advice on diet and brushing (and other protection of teeth e.g. sports mouth guards)

ii) Intervention

Having no need for a filling is of course best and our preventive advice and treatment has this aim. However, when needed a small filling is preferable to a bigger one so have regular check ups.

Prevent dental disease in Adults

What can you do to prevent decay?

See the answer for children above - the principles are just the same!  What we can do is broadly the same as well, although some preventive treatments are more applicable to children.