I’d much rather prevent a problem than fix it. I had a lot of bad dental experiences as a kid. It would have been nice if someone had educated my parents on what to do and saved me (and them) a lot of grief. Even today, new patients are often astounded when I tell them simple things that can prevent decay. I’m astounded no one’s ever bothered to tell them.
Anyway, there’s a lot of information below on various things that will help save you a lot of time in the dental chair. The stuff on gum disease and sleep apnoea might even help save your life.