Not many people stay faithful to their routine dental checkup appointments. In fact, many people cannot remember the last time they visited a dental clinic. The lack of attention to your oral health and wellness can be damaging, especially as common oral problems may go undetected for long periods.
A leading dentist St. Charles IL recommends routine dental visits at least twice a year at six months intervals. But why should you visit a dental clinic, and what are the advantages? Find answers below.
Dentists Can Detect Serious Medical Issues
Your oral health is a reflection of your internal health. In most cases, problems start in the mouth and, when unattended, cause additional problems in other internal organs. Recent studies suggest that people with untreated oral problems like gum diseases are at a higher risk of heart attacks and other life-threatening health issues. Paying attention to your mouth and oral health can help avoid these risks.
Dentists, during your routine dental visits, are able to assess your mouth and oral health to determine the condition as well as how best to address it. In most cases, simple preventative procedures like dental cleaning and physical examination can greatly improve your overall health and wellness.
Your dental visit could also be characterized by examinations to understand changes to your teeth, gum, palate, or other parts of your mouth. Those changes may spark concerns about oral cancer and can help with early detection.
Early detection of oral cancer can significantly improve your chances of beating the terminal illness. Your dentist will examine the problem, diagnose it, and educate you on the best treatment practices to ensure a favorable outcome.
Regular Dental Visits Helps Reduce Pain
Pain is among the commonest reasons people are forced to visit their dentist. When pain occurs in the head and mouth region, patients are forced to seek emergency dental help to address the problem and alleviate the pain.
However, such painful occurrences could possibly have been prevented through regular dental visits. The dentist could have identified certain issues with the mouth and pointed out problems that require immediate attention towards eliminating chances of pain and discomfort.
Improve Teeth and Smile Appearance
Keeping your teeth clean using fluoride toothpaste isn’t everything about dental health. Fluoride toothpastes do not possess the power to get rid of plaque and tartar that build up on the teeth over time.
Visiting a dentist regularly can help get rid of the buildup, thus saving you from oral health problems caused by increased bacteria in your mouth. In addition to reducing the bacteria population, dental visits are also a great time to enjoy dental hygiene practices like tooth scaling and polishing as well as cosmetic solutions like teeth whitening to improve your teeth’s appearance, boost smile quality, and overall improve your self-esteem.
Save Time and Money
Many people who skip dental appointments feel they are saving some money by not seeing their dentists. However, this couldn’t be more wrong. Failing to see your dentist regularly or routinely robs you of the chance to detect problems early and fix them quickly. It also exposes you to the possibility of pain and discomfort arising from neglected oral health problems.
When you see your dentist regularly, you can be sure that they’ll assess your oral health and address any issues you may be facing. This can significantly help you save time and money on restorative dental procedures like dental implants, dentures, and others.
What’s Included in Your Routine Dental Visits?
Now that you know the dangers of skipping routine dental visits, below are some things to expect during your next routine visit.
1. Oral Examination
Dental examinations are a huge part of your routine visit to the dentist. This gives the dentist an idea of your oral health and what needs to be done to improve it. Your dentist may ask questions about pain, sensitivity, and others to help establish a diagnosis.
2. Thorough Cleaning
Dental cleaning is quite different from teeth brushing. Teeth brushing removes food particles lodged between or coating the teeth. On the other hand, dental cleaning removes plaque and tartar buildup on the enamel to reduce the chances of bacterial infection or gum disease.
Usually, you should undergo two dental cleanings a year, at six months intervals, to keep your teeth healthy and strong.
3. Fluoride Treatment
Fluoride treatment is often included in many dental checkups. This is done to help replenish the minerals in the teeth and keep them strong.
4. Dental X-rays and Advice
You can also expect to undergo dental X-rays when your dentist needs to investigate oral health symptoms in detail. X-rays reveal more about what’s happening in the gum and tooth root. This is important for detecting cavities, teeth breaks, dissociation from jaw bone, and for checking jaw health.
Your dentist will also advise you on ways to improve your oral health and keep your smile beautiful.
