Preventive Dentistry by Age
Each stage has its own risk, and prevention changes with it.
Priorities in childhood and adolescence
- A first examination within six months of the first tooth
- Treating baby teeth too; they hold space for the permanent ones
- Brushing with an age-appropriate amount of fluoride paste
- Assessing sealants for the six- and twelve-year molars
- Wearing a mouthguard during sport
- Stopping sugary and acidic drinks sipped through the day
- Daily interdental brushing for adolescents in braces
In adulthood the risk changes direction
Decay does not disappear in adulthood, but the dominant problem becomes gum disease — silent and painless, often noticed only when teeth loosen, by which time bone loss is permanent. The second heading is monitoring existing restorations, whose margins can decay unnoticed. The third is wear from clenching, acidic drinks and hard brushing. All three are checked in minutes at a routine visit.
Later life: root decay and dry mouth
As gums recede, root surfaces are exposed. Roots are covered by cementum rather than enamel and resist acid far less, so decay in later life often begins at the gum margin on the root and progresses quickly. The second factor is dry mouth: many medicines, including antihypertensives, diuretics, antidepressants and antihistamines, reduce saliva flow, so acid is buffered less and risk rises. Frequent water, high-fluoride paste and shorter recall intervals help.
Getting Here, Booking and Emergencies from Barbaros
Route, booking and emergency arrangements for patients from Barbaros.
Getting here from Barbaros
Barbaros lies in the Muratpaşa district of Antalya; Muratpaşa is one of the central districts, about 2 kilometres from the clinic. We also see patients from neighbouring areas that share the route from Barbaros, such as Balbey, Doğuyaka, Gençlik, Kırcami. You can ask for the location on WhatsApp when travelling from Barbaros.
Appointments for Barbaros
At this distance, splitting treatment into visits is no problem for patients from Barbaros, and attending reviews is easy too. As with patients from Muratpasa generally, appointments for families from Barbaros can be scheduled consecutively.
Emergencies from Barbaros
Setting out from Barbaros at night is quick; come without delay in an emergency, and calling as you leave means preparation is done in advance. For patients coming from Dental Clinic in Barbaros, the clinic is open 24/7 and in an emergency the order is set by severity rather than arrival time. For spreading facial swelling, difficulty swallowing or breathing, or toothache with fever, go to the nearest emergency department.
Mouth Ulcers: Which Are Expected and Which Need Examining
Most lesions in the mouth heal on their own within days. What matters is noticing the one that does not, because the distinguishing feature is not pain but how long it lasts.
Common and self-resolving
What these have in common is that they are painful and heal completely within a week or two:
- Aphthous ulcer: round, white centre, red rim; triggered by stress and trauma
- A bite injury: inside the cheek, usually beside a sharp tooth edge
- A denture sore: at one point, easing when the denture is removed
- Cold sore: at the lip border, starting with tingling and healing with a crust
Findings that need assessment
A lesion lasting more than two weeks, growing, with hardened or raised edges — and particularly one that is PAINLESS — is different. Painlessness is misleading: because the patient is not uncomfortable, they choose to wait. Lesions that are one-sided, recur in the same place or bleed easily also need examining. This does not necessarily mean anything serious, but it should not be left.
What triggers aphthous ulcers?
The exact cause is unknown but triggers are recognised: stress, disrupted sleep, biting the cheek or brush trauma, certain foods, hormonal fluctuation, and deficiencies of iron, B12 and folate. Where they recur often, checking blood values is sensible; correcting a deficiency can markedly reduce how often they return.
