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The Best Reasons You Need Regular Dental Checkups 

 

Most people will say that going to the dentist is not necessarily on the top of their list of things they want to do. Actually, the amount of people who say they avoid visits due to dental anxiety and fear is around 9% to 15%. The dentist can seem like a scary place, but there are certainly a good number of advantages that should make you want to jump up and schedule an appointment right away. Keep reading to check out this list of benefits of regular dental visits that will save you and your teeth. There are essentially two parts to a dental visit. Firstly, the dentist will examine your entire oral condition, including teeth, gums, and tongue as a routine checkup. They will take x-rays to help get a better idea of what is going on inside of your mouth. After this, the dentist will provide a cleaning using various tools, such as scrapers and small mirrors, for a basic dental cleanse of any plaque or tartar buildup. The dentist will provide a follow-up plan and have you schedule appointments for any further work that may be needed, such as a root canal or filling.

Plaque, Tartar, and Cavities: Even with the most diligent daily brushers and flossers, there are still small areas in the mouth that are missed by regular brushing and flossing. When plaque builds up it becomes more difficult to remove, solidifying and turning into tartar, which is extremely difficult to get rid of without professional help. The patient is having dental treatment regular dental cleanings prevent tartar from eroding teeth or creating holes in them, which is how cavities are created. Cavities rarely give any warning signs as they form, only resulting in a small ache once the tooth is already decayed. Once the damage has been done, you will have to go back to the dentist to have cavities and other tooth problems filled and fixed.

Find Problems Under the Surface With X-Rays: A crucial part of visiting your dentist every six months is getting your teeth and jawbone x-rayed. X-ray images allow dental professionals to see what is happening beneath the surfaces of your mouth, and can find and diagnose issues that may be invisible to the naked eye. Problems like this can include impacted teeth, which are growing teeth that are blocked from pushing through the gum line, as often seen in wisdom teeth. Dental X-ray damage to the jawbone can also be pinpointed as well as any bone decay, swelling, cysts, or tumors, all of which is impossible to actually see without x-ray imaging. Finding these or any other major oral issues as soon as possible is critical in order to properly treat them.

Oral Cancer Detection: Oral cancer is an extremely serious disease that manifests itself in various ways. Without knowing the signs of its early onset, oral cancer is often not diagnosed and can quickly progress and become life-threatening. But thankfully, an early-stage oral cancer diagnosis is often easily treatable. telescope exams for oral cancer on womanYour dentist is highly trained to recognize these signs and symptoms, and with regular dental checkups every six months the likelihood of catching oral cancer in time is dramatically higher. Recognizing oral cancer in its early stages is key to treating it successfully, and while you may not notice oral abnormalities, your dentist will.

Gum Disease: Plaque and tartar buildup not only causes tooth decay but can also erode the mouth’s gum tissues. This happens when tartar buildup causes an infection where the gum is connected to the tooth, making the gum pull away from the tooth. This infection is known as gingivitis and as it progresses the tissue that attaches gums to the teeth breaks down. iStock_000020178715SmallOnce it reaches this point it is officially gum disease, and only at this point will there likely be any swelling, bleeding, or soreness in the mouth. Along with the breakdown of gum tissue, gum disease also causes a breakdown of the bone that holds teeth in place. At this point, it is common to see teeth loosening or falling out altogether and drastic treatment methods will have to be taken by a dental specialist.

Keeping Bad Habits in Check: There are many bad habits that can have a negative impact on your oral health, some of which you may not even realize are causing issues. Some of these habits include chewing ice, biting your nails, clenching your jaw, grinding your teeth, eating particularly sticky or hard sweets, brushing your teeth too hard, drinking coffee and red wine, and of course smoking. When you go for regular dental checkups, your dentist can check for any oral damage caused by these or other habits which you may otherwise not have noticed. Being informed about specific destructive habits allows you to change or alter your lifestyle choice to prevent further damage.

Megan Mobley DDS
4407 Bee Caves Rd Building 2 Suite 221, Austin, TX 78746
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