Why prevention is the cheapest dentistry there is

Enamel does not grow back. Once decay breaks through it the tooth needs a filling, and that filling will need replacing eventually, usually with something larger. Every restoration has a lifespan, and every replacement takes a little more tooth structure than the one before. A tooth can only go around that loop so many times before it needs a crown, then root canal therapy, then extraction.

The point is to stay off the loop. Very early decay, softened enamel that has not yet broken through, can often be stopped and remineralized. Gingivitis, the first stage of gum disease, reverses. Neither stage hurts and neither is visible in a bathroom mirror, which is the whole argument for coming in when nothing feels wrong. Wait for pain and the options narrow to restorative work.

The four parts of preventive care

What happens in the office is half of it. The other half happens the rest of the year. Each part has its own page.

Dental exams and cleanings
The six-month visit, which is two things at once: a cleaning that removes what a brush cannot, and an exam covering far more than cavities. What happens at an exam and cleaning.
Digital dental x-rays
Decay between teeth, bone levels, infection at a root tip, trouble under an old filling. None of it visible by looking in the mouth. How dental x-rays work and how often you need them.
Home care and products
Which brush, which toothpaste, which floss, whether a water flosser earns its place, and what a drying medication is doing to your decay risk. Choosing home care that works.
Brushing and flossing technique
Most adults brush long enough and hard enough. The angle and the order are where it goes wrong. Brushing and flossing, step by step.

What we are actually checking at a routine exam

A checkup is not just a hunt for cavities. Running the same sequence every time is what keeps things from being missed.

  • Decay, including the surfaces between back teeth that only show on an x-ray, and decay working away under old fillings and crowns.
  • Gum health, measured rather than guessed. A probe reads the depth around each tooth and bleeding points are recorded, because bleeding is the earliest reliable sign of gum disease.
  • Bone level, read off the x-rays. Bone lost to periodontal disease does not grow back, so the trend across years tells us more than any single reading.
  • Soft tissues, meaning an oral cancer screening of the tongue, floor of the mouth, cheeks, palate and throat, plus the lymph nodes in the neck.
  • Bite, wear and existing dental work. Flattened cusps and notched gumlines point to grinding. Fillings, crowns and bridges all fail eventually, usually at the margins and usually in silence.

Catching it early versus fixing it later

The trade-off, stated plainly. It is why we chase people for recall appointments when they feel fine.

Consideration Caught at a checkup Left until it hurts
Time it takes About an hour, once or twice a year, on a day you picked. Several appointments, usually starting with one squeezed into a working week.
What it costs The least expensive category of dental treatment there is. Restorative work, and more of it. See insurance and payment options.
Tooth structure Nothing removed. The tooth stays whole. Every repair costs healthy tooth, and you do not get it back.
Predictability Small problems behave in known ways, usually with no anesthetic. A deep cavity can turn into root canal therapy once drilling starts, and that is not always knowable beforehand.
If nothing is done Early decay can stall, and gingivitis reverses. Decay does not stop once it is into dentin. Bone lost to gum disease stays lost.

Children, teenagers, and adults who have been away a while

Children should be seen early, no later than the first birthday, mostly so habits and diet get sorted before there is anything to fix. Sealants over the deep grooves of the adult molars, and fluoride varnish, do real work through the cavity-prone years. Whether either suits a particular child is decided at the visit. Teenagers quietly slip, between sports drinks, braces, and newly erupted molars with deep grooves.

If it has been five years, or fifteen, you are not the first person to say so, and nobody here is going to lecture you. The first visit is about finding out where things stand and giving you a plan in an order that makes sense, urgent first. Dr. Brosi graduated from the USC School of Dentistry in 1981. Read the new patient information, then request an appointment.

Preventive dentistry questions we hear most

My teeth feel fine. Do I really need a checkup?

Decay and gum disease stay quiet until they are advanced, which is how they get so far. Feeling fine tells you little about what is happening between your teeth or under the gumline. The alternative to an hour now is finding out later, when more has to be done.

Do I need x-rays every time?

No. Bitewings, which show decay between the back teeth, are taken at an interval matched to your decay risk. A full set covering the roots and bone is taken far less often. More on dental x-rays.

Is a cleaning going to hurt?

Uncomfortable at worst for most people, mainly cold water and sensitive spots at the gumline. Inflamed gums are tender, and where deposits sit deeper under the gum, numbing gel or a local anesthetic is available. Say something early rather than gripping the armrest.

What if I need more than a cleaning?

If the pocket depths and the x-rays show active gum disease, a routine cleaning is the wrong treatment, because it only reaches what sits above and just below the gumline. The right treatment goes deeper, a quadrant at a time with the area numbed. See periodontal care.

Do you see the whole family?

Yes. This is a general dental practice serving Oakhurst, Coarsegold, Bass Lake, Ahwahnee, North Fork and the surrounding foothill communities into Mariposa County. Open Monday to Wednesday 8:30 am to 5:00 pm and Thursday 7:30 am to 4:00 pm, closed Friday through Sunday. More on the patient FAQ page.

In this area of treatment

Each of these has its own page with the detail that does not fit here.

  • Dental Exams and Cleanings

    A thorough examination and professional cleaning, usually every six months, including an oral cancer screening.

  • Digital Dental X-Rays

    Low-dose digital imaging that shows decay, bone level and infection long before any of it is visible or painful.

  • Dental Home Care

    The daily routine, tools and products that decide how well your teeth hold up between visits.

  • How to Brush and Floss Properly

    Technique matters more than effort. Here is how to do both correctly, in the order that works.