5 Benefits of Regular Dental Checkups

There are certain experiences in life that might be incredibly unpleasant, but cannot be ignored. You may not like it, but you have to pay your taxes every April. Perhaps for you that difficult task is visiting a particularly grumpy relative, or managing an audit of your company. For some people, simply going to the dentist falls into this category. But while you might not like it, those regular dental checkups are an absolute necessity. And it’s not simply so you can maintain one of those bright white, shining smiles. So the next time you go to see your dentist, consider shaking his or her hand. Here are five of the benefits of regular dental checkups.

Although it’s not high on most people’s list of fears, those regular dental checkups will help you avoid oral cancer. Oral cancer is often connected to long term tobacco use, but that’s not the only way you can get it. In fact, there’s a death from oral cancer every single hour of the day. Thankfully, this is one of the most curable forms of cancer. The key is early detection. When you get your dental checkup, the hygienist is also scanning for signs of oral cancer. By not skipping out on a cleaning, you’re also helping to insure you never have to cope with this ailment.

Even more common is gum disease, and you’ll prevent that almost entirely by keeping your regular dental checkups. Gum disease is an infection that develops in the tissues of your gums, especially when you don’t take good care of your mouth. It’s one of the primary reasons adults lose their teeth, and it’s also both treatable and reversible if addressed. The longer you let it go, the more serious the issue will become. You can help manage it with solid oral care in between checkups, but those twice yearly cleanings will make a huge difference.

Though some people are fastidious about their teeth and want to keep them ‘camera ready’ at all times, one of the simplest reasons to keep your regular dental checkups is to insure that you keep your real teeth, no matter their shape. Avoiding dental care will certainly cause large problems down the road, and tooth loss is potentially one of them. It’s always better to keep your teeth than to require dentures or veneers. You’ll save tens of thousands of dollars, not to mention a significant amount of pain. Seeing your dentist will help insure you don’t have to face that fate down the road.

Everyone experiences a bout of bad breath from time to time. But for those who deal with a chronic issue, seeing your dentist regularly can make a huge difference. This condition is known as halitosis, and it’s been shown that more than 85% of the time the issue is related to some sort of dental condition. You’ll have to up your game at home, but during a regular checkup you’ll be able to address the problem right away, and determine some long term solutions.

Finally, seeing your dentist consistently will help you maintain good health overall. There have been some interesting studies of late that directly connect tooth decay and gum disease to strokes and heart attacks. Seeing a periodontist would certainly be worth avoiding those fates. As long as you see your dentist once every six months, you’ll be able to keep your gums and your teeth healthy, cutting down on one of the causes of heart disease and cardiovascular concerns.