Many people overlook the importance of visiting a dentist regularly. However, regular dental visits go a long way in maintaining optimal oral health. It is advisable to visit a dentist at least once every six months. This rising cost of dental services is a main hindrance for most people, especially people without dental insurance. However, you should not let the cost keep you off. Most dental practices have flexible repayment options that allow even people without dental insurance to access treatment.
Why You Should Visit a Dentist Regularly
When was your last dental visit?
If that was over six months ago, consider visiting a dentist. Why? Because your dental health could be compromised. Visiting the dentist helps you retain your healthiest smile. A dentist can detect dental issues that you can overlook. The dentist's top priority is to ensure that you maintain strong teeth and healthy gums.
You should clean your teeth twice daily by brushing, flossing, and rinsing. However, this is not an alternative to seeing a dentist. Even if you rock the brightest smile, you should visit the dentist regularly since it is crucial to your oral health. Here are the leading reasons you should visit a dentist regularly:
Identify Tooth Decay Early
Even the most vigilant daily brushers or flossers will miss certain areas of the mouth. Plaque gets increasingly difficult to remove as it solidifies and hardens, eventually converting into tartar. Tartar is exceedingly tough to remove without seeking professional assistance. Regular dental exams prevent plaque and tartar buildup.
An accumulation of plaque and tartar can erode your teeth or form holes, allowing cavities to develop. Cavities do not have any warning signs, only causing a minor discomfort when the tooth begins to decay. When the damage is significant, you must visit a dental professional to have cavities and other dental problems addressed and fixed.
A dental cleaning appointment is also less expensive than a filling. Therefore, if your income is constrained, do not skip regular cleanings. Often, a tooth becomes so damaged and decayed that it needs to be extracted. You have just one set of adult teeth. Therefore, losing any of them permanently can hurt your overall dental health.
When you lose teeth, several things can happen to your mouth, like your teeth shifting. This could cause significant discomfort and radically alter your smile. One of the most essential benefits of frequent dental checkups is preventing permanent or irreversible damage to your teeth.
Reduce The Risk Of Tooth Decay In Children
Aside from serious illnesses like oral cancer, a dentist can detect many other dental issues during regular dental exams, including tooth decay. This condition is typically caused by a high level of acid-producing bacterium in the mouth. Bacteria can spread by saliva, contaminated kitchenware, and pacifiers. Some adults taste their children's food while feeding them or use their mouths to wipe the pacifier, exposing an infant to bacteria.
Exposure to foods and drinks other than water also exposes a child to the risk of tooth decay. Most foods and drinks contain natural or added sugars that produce acids if left in the mouth. This acid can erode a child’s teeth, a condition known as bottle mouth. You should avoid giving your child juices and sugary snacks, especially around bedtime.
Cavities can occur early, causing premature removal of baby teeth. When some teeth are removed, the remaining teeth can shift, meaning there will not be enough space for adult teeth to erupt. Dental caries or cavities can lead to infections, affecting the teeth and the gums. Advanced dental issues are more complicated and expensive to treat. You should not expose your child to unnecessary pain and discomfort that can be avoided with regular dental checkups. Taking your child for regular dental checkups allows dentists to identify dental issues early.
Education On Proper Dental Hygiene And Prevention Of Future Oral Problems
Many people are unaware of maintaining good oral hygiene. Most individuals brush their teeth once a day but never floss. This does not seem like a significant issue, but it could result in severe dental problems in the future.
Small habits like brushing the teeth shortly after meals and flossing at least once a day can help combat bacteria in the mouth and support overall healthy teeth. If you require a more customized dental hygiene program, you should schedule regular dental assessments. This way, you can ensure that a professional monitors your oral health.
When you take children for dental appointments from an early age, the child learns to understand and appreciate the importance of good oral hygiene. It also eliminates the pain associated with dental checkups. When children learn proper oral practices from an expert, they can adopt them at home. Children who undergo dental checkups early on have a good attitude toward oral health and are more likely to take care of their teeth.
It is advisable to start taking a child for dental appointments when the child is as early as six months. Start cleaning your child’s teeth from an early age. You should run a damp cloth on the child’s gum before the teeth erupt. When the first teeth come out, brush them with a baby toothbrush and a tiny amount of fluoride toothpaste.
You could assume that a dentist only focuses on your teeth, but other aspects of your oral health should be considered. One of the advantages of regular dental appointments is that the dentist can identify potential problems before they become major problems. For example, if the dentist discovers a little cavity developing or your gums are not healthy, you can receive prompt treatment.
Many people suffer from plaque accumulation and gingivitis that go untreated because they do not see a dentist promptly. A dental professional can also look for early signs of mouth cancer or other serious conditions.
Early Detection Of Oral Cancer
Oral cancer is a very deadly disease that can express itself in a variety of ways. This cancer often goes undetected due to a lack of awareness of its early warning signs, and it can rapidly spread and become fatal. Fortunately, the early stages of oral cancer are usually easily treated. Your dentist is well qualified to identify these symptoms and signs. With routine dental checks every six months, the chances of detecting oral cancer early increase significantly. Early detection of oral cancer is critical for successful treatment. While you may not notice mouth abnormalities, a dentist will.
Patients are unable to recognize oral cancer by themselves since it does not cause pain or obvious signs in the early stages. The lack of discovery allows for the development of secondary cancers. By this time, the malignant cells have spread deep into body tissues. Even if patients survive their initial encounter with oral cancer, they have a higher probability of developing another form of cancer in the future.
Patients should go for bi-annual dental examinations so dentists can screen for these oral cancer signs:
- Persistent lip or mouth sores
- White and reddish areas inside your mouth
- Loose teeth that are not associated with trauma
- Pain while swallowing food or beverages
- A growth or bump in the mouth
- Pain in your mouth and ears
While the aforementioned signs and symptoms can be suggestive of other issues, you should see a dentist if they last over two weeks. It is still unclear what triggers mutations in the squamous cells. However, oral cancers are commonly associated with risk factors such as tobacco use, excessive alcohol intake, human papillomavirus (HPV), and others. A dentist will check your oral cavity for precancerous abnormalities and determine whether cancer is present.
Identifying The Early Signs Of Gum Disease
The buildup of plaque and tartar not only causes tooth decay but can also cause gum disease. An accumulation of plaque and tartar can cause an infection in the area where the tooth connects to the gum. This can make the gum pull away from the teeth, a condition known as gum recession. The early stage of gum disease is known as gingivitis. If gingivitis is not addressed early, it progresses to gum disease. If you suffer from gum disease, you will not see signs like bleeding, swelling, and soreness in the mouth. In addition to the damage to the gum tissue, gum disease can also damage the jaw bone. Damage to the bone that holds your teeth in place can make your teeth feel loose. Your teeth could even fall out altogether. Your dentist must employ advanced dental procedures to restore your smile.
Not only does gum disease treatment require more dental appointments, but gum specialists also cost more. The treatment for gum disease will vary depending on the severity of the condition. The potential treatment methods include deep cleaning, medication, and surgery. Regular dental checkups and cleanings can help you prevent the onset of gum disease. If your dentist notices the signs of gingivitis during a routine dental check-up, he/she will address the problem before it progresses.
Identify Concealed Dental Issues Using Dental Imaging
An important reason to visit your dentist every six months is to have the dentist examine your teeth and jawbone. Dental imaging techniques, like X-rays, help dentists see what is happening beneath the gums. X-rays and other imaging techniques enable dentists to diagnose dental issues that are invisible to the naked eye. Problems that can be identified through dental imaging include impacted wisdom teeth.
A dentist can also diagnose jawbone damage, swelling, decay, tumors, and cysts, which are hard to detect without digital imaging. Identifying these oral issues on time is crucial to treating them effectively. Some dental conditions show little to no symptoms but progress quickly if not treated. Bi-annual dental checkups and imaging are the best ways to stay on top of your health.
Neck And Lymph Nodes Checks
In addition to checking your mouth, tongue, and gums for signs of oral cancer or other dental problems, your dentist will likely check your jaw, neck, and lymph nodes. Lymph nodes are located just below the jawbone. Checking the neck and lymph nodes for lumps, swellings, and other abnormalities can help identify underlying medical issues early. If your dentist notices an abnormality that could point to a major health issue, he/she will refer you to a medical expert.
Swollen lymph nodes could be a sign of certain types of cancer or other ailments that require immediate medical assistance. Not having regular dental appointments could also mean that your neck or thyroid glands are rarely checked. Your dentist can take less than a minute to identify an abnormality, yet this early diagnosis can save your life.
Help You Keep Bad Habits In Check
Certain habits could hurt your oral health. Sometimes, you do not realize a habit is harmful unless your dentist advises you. Some habits that could compromise your dental health include biting your nails, chewing ice, grinding your teeth, eating hard or sticky foods, or consuming colored drinks like red wine and coffee.
When you go for a dental checkup, your dentist will examine your teeth and gums and advise you about habits that could damage them. Understanding certain destructive habits can enable you to alter your lifestyle and prevent additional damage. A dentist can also address any damage that has already occurred to ensure that your oral health is as good as possible.
Treating Bad Breath
When most people hear about bad breath, what comes to mind is morning breath or consuming too many onions. However, if you have persistent bad breath, you could be suffering from a condition known as halitosis. Halitosis occurs due to repeated poor oral hygiene habits. You should never ignore this condition or try to treat it on your own. During a dental appointment, your dentist can identify the underlying cause of bad breath and how you can address it. The bad breath could be due to a medical condition that requires immediate treatment.
Enhance Your Smile
Everyone desires to have a beautiful smile. Visiting your dentist regularly can help you achieve this. Getting a bright smile comes from regular cleanings and following the dentist’s instructions on caring for your teeth. A dentist will work with you to build a beautiful smile and enhance your self-esteem.
Find an Experienced Dentist Near Me
During a routine dental checkup, your dentist will examine your mouth for signs of plaque or tartar buildup, cavities, gum disease, oral cancer, and other conditions. A dentist has the right tools to examine every area of your mouth, including the tongue, throat, and spaces between your teeth. If an issue pops up, it can be fixed during the dental or follow-up appointments. If you need a comprehensive dental examination, contact Northridge Advanced Dentistry. Contact us at 818-701-3010 to speak to one of our dentists.
