Do you understand the importance of visiting a dentist once in every six months? This is one of the essential ways to keep your dental health in good condition. Routine oral checkups and cleanings is really what everyone should look forward for healthy mouth. Are you skipping dental checkups due to anxiety, time or cost factor? If yes, then make sure you are aware about all the risks involved with oral health complications. Read further about some reasons why you should go for a routine check up on daily basis.
Detection of oral cancer
Oral cancer is a serious ailment which can manifest itself in many ways. When you are not aware about its early signs, oral cancer is usually not diagnosed and may progress quickly which can be risky for life. Luckily, an early stage diagnosis of oral cancer is easy to treat.
The dentist identifies the signs and symptoms and with dental checkups in every six months the chances of detecting oral cancer is significantly greater in due course. Detecting oral cancer early is a key in treating it successfully and the dentist will notice oral abnormalities soon.
Cavities, plaque and tartar
When you use brushes and flossers daily, there are still small mouth areas that get missed for proper cleaning. The accumulation of plaque makes it more difficult to remove, solidify and turn into tartar. This is really difficult to eliminate them without the help of professionals. Regular dental cleanings can avoid tartar from eroding the teeth or making holes in them and this is how cavities are created.
Cavities hardly give any warning signs when they form and cause small ache when the tooth gets decayed. After the damage has been done, you can visit the dentist for cavities and other tooth problems filled as well as fixed. All this can be avoided with proper cleanings that take care of tartar and plaque before they get destructive.
Gum disease
The accumulation of plaque and tarter leads to tooth decay and erode gum tissues of mouth. This usually takes place when tartar builds up forms an infection where gum is connected to your tooth. It will make gums to pull away from your tooth.
This infection is called gingivitis and when it progresses, the tissue attaching gums to the teeth breaks down. When it reaches this point, there can be some bleeding, swelling or mouth soreness. Other than gum tissue breakdown, gum disease leads to a breakdown of the bone that holds the teeth in proper place.
During this point, your teeth can become loose or fall out together and the dentist may perform effective treatment methods to solve the problem. The treatment for gum disease depends on your severity and includes thorough cleaning, surgery and necessary medication. Regular cleanings are necessary to catch and address the problem of gingivitis before it gets out of hand.
Watch for bad oral habits
Many bad habits leave a negative impact on your dental health, some of which you might not realize are causing such issues. Some of these habits are biting nails, chewing ice, teeth grinding, jaw clenching, brushing teeth very hard, eating hard or sticky sweets, sipping coffee, drinking red wine and smoking.
When you go for routine dental checkups, the dentist checks your oral damage caused due to these or other habits which you might not be aware of. This will enable you to change your habits for good and prevent further damage to your dental health. By seeing a dentist, you can fix the damage already caused and improve your oral health.
Identify oral issues with X-rays
An important part of visiting a dentist in every six months is to do X-rays of your teeth and jawbone. These images will help the dentists to know what is happening between your mouth surfaces and detect as well as diagnose problems which might not be visible with naked eyes.
Certain problems include impacted teeth or growing teeth that can be blocked from pushing through your gum line like for wisdom teeth. The damage to your jawbone may identify swelling, cysts, bone decay or tumours which are just impossible to be seen without X-rays. Finding these or other major oral concerns soon is necessary to treat them properly.
Check your head, neck and lymph nodes
Apart from checking your mouth, tongue and gums to detect any signs for oral cancer, the dentist will also check your jaw, neck and lymph nodes just beneath the jaw line. This can help to identify any kind of swelling, lumps or other unusualities. If there is any kind of abnormality, it might be a sign of major health concern.
The dentist will tell you or refer to another healthcare professional for treating it early. Swollen lymph nodes are a specific area that does not hurt easily but can be a sign of some types of cancer or other diseases which require immediate attention when detected properly. Without conducting routine dental checkups, you may not get your thyroid glands and neck checked.
Are dental checkups worth your effort?
Dentists are concerned to fix your teeth problem and help with emergency dental care from time to time. They will clean your teeth to ensure your teeth and gums remain healthy and strong to check for abnormalities that might go unnoticed. This might be a sign of major oral health concerns. They will also see your bones are strong and correct any habits that might be damaging your oral health condition.
It is not a good deal to skip your dental appointments as oral concerns may develop and progress quickly whether or not you notice them. By going for regular dental checkups and cleanings, you are actually doing a big favour to yourself in the long run.
