By Dr Rachel Chan, General Dental Surgeon

Your teeth are important for smiling, communicating and enjoying food. The best way to preserve your teeth and to prevent expensive dental treatments, advised Dr Rachel Chan from Raffles Dental, is to have regular check-ups with your dentist.

“This would ensure that your gums are free from tartar and plaque that can cause bacterial infection of the gums leading to them becoming red, swollen and painful. Bacterial infections would require treatments involving root planning procedures which are more expensive than a regular scaling and polishing. Check-ups will also ensure that small cavities are easily restored rather than leading to large cavities requiring more expensive root canal and crown treatments.”

For those looking at more economical alternatives to common tooth problems and don't mind them being less aesthetic or uncomfortable, Dr Chan recommends doing a denture rather than a bridge or implant, an extraction rather than the root canal and crown procedure. All said, early intervention and an annual examination will help you avoid having to make such painful (and costly) decisions.

Finally, to keep your teeth healthy economically, make it a daily routine to brush twice a day, floss at night and reduce intake of sticky sweet foods, soft drinks and higher acid fruit juices.

For more information or to make an appointment, please call our appointment hotlines or email us at dental@raffleshospital.com