The Importance of Visiting a Dentist Regularly

Most people haven’t visited a dentist in their entire lives! They are lucky to have never experienced an excruciatingly painful toothache. Ninety percent of the time, it ends up in an emergency root canal procedure which can be quite traumatizing for the patient as they must decide everything immediately. A situation like this can easily be avoided by scheduling a dental appointment every six months. Emergency treatments can be overwhelming, painful, and expensive, whereas, with routine dental appointments, you rarely need emergency treatment.

5 Important Reasons Why You Should Visit The Dentist

Here are some importance of visiting a dentist regularly:

To Educate Yourself On Dental Health And Hygiene

Visiting a dentist early and regularly helps to keep yourself aware and informed about dental hygiene and its importance. Most people ignore the importance of maintaining proper dental hygiene or are just too lazy. Your dentist can educate you and your family on the importance of teeth care. Poor dental hygiene is unattractive, results in bad breath, and can lead to larger dental problems such as gum disease and tooth decay.

Children should begin visiting the dentist as early as six months or whenever the first teeth in their mouth erupt. New parents can be taught how to keep their babies’ gums clean and healthy and when to introduce tooth brushing. Dentists can also educate their patients on healthy and junk foods and how it affects oral hygiene.

To Catch A Dental Problem Early

Regular dental visits help to catch a dental problem early before it progresses to a bigger one. For example, if your dentist notices that you have a shallow cavity beginning in one of your molars, they would fill it up with a filling to close it off. Initial decay may not be painful, and the patient would not realize it and may not get treated for it. If left untreated, it can quickly progress into a deeper cavity which would now be painful and result in a toothache. Sometimes the decay extends into the tooth’s deeper areas, also known as the pulp chamber. At this stage, it can no longer be treated with a simple filling but would require a root canal. This situation could be avoided by regular dental visits, saving you from a more complicated treatment and being a lot more cost-saving.

For Cancer Screening

During a dental visit, the dentist takes a complete history of the patient and conducts a complete clinical exam of the mouth. This includes the teeth, the tongue, the insides of the cheeks, the tonsillar areas, the gums as well as the floor of the mouth. They check for unusual growths, irregularities, or changes in color in the mouth. X-rays are taken to confirm the diagnosis, and further tests are advised if something seems out of the ordinary. This helps to catch cancers and tumors in their early stages rather than when it gets too late.

For Regular Gum Cleanings

Plaque is a sticky substance that is a mixture of food debris, bacteria, and other salivary constituents. It tends to stick to the surface of teeth, and when not cleaned with a brush, it settles at the bottom of the teeth along the gum margin. Once it starts to harden, it becomes impossible to remove this with mechanical brushing, and professional cleaning is required. Professional cleaning uses an ultrasonic device that vibrates and releases a jet of water that loosens and breaks the hardened plaque from around the gum margin.

This is advised to do every six months and more frequently in people with very poor dental hygiene. Failure to remove plaque from gum margins can result in inflammation and infection of the gums. This can result in a complication called gingivitis or, even worse, progress to periodontal disease. This is a painful condition that requires antibiotics to treat.

To Monitor Past Treatments

On regular dental visits, the dentist can monitor the treatments they have performed on their patients. Most dental treatments require monitoring, such as fillings, crowns, implants, and orthodontic treatments after they have ended. Doing this prevents any treatment from failing and prolongs the life of the dental treatment that was done.

How Often Should You Visit The Dentist?

As mentioned above, it is very important of visiting a dentist regularly to prevent future complications. It is recommended that babies must be introduced to the dentist as early as six months or whenever their first tooth appears. Adults must visit their dentist at least once a year, if not every six months. The best way to do this is to schedule professional cleaning appointments every six months. This allows the dentist to do a thorough exam on the patient so that they can continue to monitor them and maintain their records.

What To Expect On A Dental Appointment?

• Fill out a form with your personal contact details
• Mention your dental concerns
• Mention allergies and other medical health problems
• The dentist will then go over your form with you to discuss any dental and medical concerns you might have
• The dentist will then examine your mouth
• They will take images of your teeth for record purposes
• If x rays are required, the dentist will proceed to take x rays
• If no procedure is required, the dental hygienist will then take over and give you a round of cleaning
• If a dental procedure is required, you can discuss with your dentist when to schedule it so that you can come in and have it done

If you are looking for a reliable dentist for yourself and your family, contact Dr. Paul’s Dental Clinic and visit them for a consultation. They have a team of trusted dental professionals who can assist you with all your dental needs.