Preventive care refers to healthcare services aimed at preventing illness or detecting health problems early, before they become serious or harder to treat. This includes regular checkups, vaccinations, cancer screenings (like mammograms and colonoscopies), blood pressure monitoring, cholesterol testing, and health counselling about nutrition, exercise, and smoking cessation. Preventive care is considered cost-effective because treating diseases early or preventing them altogether costs less than treating advanced illnesses. While Canada's public healthcare covers many preventive services through provincial health plans, some services like dental care and certain vaccinations may require private payment or extended health insurance.