Here are the five reasons you need to visit your dentist today

Growing up we have always heard our parents and teachers state how important dental hygiene is. Visiting the dentist every six months or so seems like a formidable duty, but it is critical for dental health. As adults, we often take the liberty of skipping our dentist’s appointment. Many of us do not have the luxury of dental coverage from our employers. So, going to a dentist also becomes a costly affair. As a result, we need some serious “motivation” to go visit an orthodontist.

We only visit a dental surgeon when we experience pain, sensitivity or bleeding from the gums and teeth. Regular visits can not only make such unpleasant incidents infrequent, but they can also prevent them altogether. Good dental health is a wonderful effect of regular dental checkups. You may not be suffering from gum bleeds or teeth sensitivity right now. You should still consider visiting the dentist for the following reasons –

A simple checkup can reveal cavities, plaque buildup, and tartar

You may brush diligently twice a day, but cavities can still find their way to your teeth. Even with regular flossing and brushing, your teeth can develop tartar and plaque. When plaque hardens they become difficult to remove. They turn into tartar that might lead to excessive gum bleeds, secondary infections, and foul breath.

If you leave your plaques untreated for a long time, they might require professional help for removal. Without timely removal of tartar, your teeth can develop cavities that are painful and annoying. Cavities are irreversible. After a cavity forms, the dentist can only fill it and seal it to prevent further damage and to cover any exposed nerve ending.

It is understandable that a cleaning appointment

Prevention of gum diseases

Plaque and tartar can deplete gum health considerably. People with excessive tartar buildup often experience gum bleeds without any external pressure. The tartar buildup can result in an infection that causes the gum to swell up. The inflammation pulls the gum away from the teeth resulting in a rapid and painful breakdown of the tissue connecting the teeth to the gum.

Dental surgeons refer this to as gingivitis. One visit to the dental clinic per six months can completely prevent the onset of gingivitis in all ages. This gum disease can cause excessive blood loss, secondary infections of the gums, soreness in the mouth and bad breath. At advanced stages of gingivitis, it is not uncommon to see loose teeth. Teeth may even fall out in severe cases of gingivitis if the condition does not receive immediate medical attention.

Detection of oral cancer in the early stages

There was a time when only smokers were scared of getting oral cancer in their old age. However, the increasing levels of carcinogens in the environment and instances of cancer-causing viral infections have put many non-smokers at risk of developing oral cancer as well. 

Cancer of the salivary gland or squamous lining of the mouth is becoming threateningly common across the world. Although it is a severe disease that requires expert diagnosis, consultation, and treatment, regular visits to the dentist can help in early diagnosis. The early stages of oral cancer are often treatable and curable. Your dental surgeon is qualified to detect any abnormalities in your mouth before it turns malignant.

Many carcinomas begin as benign tumors. Early detection of these benign growths can curb the risk of developing cancer in the later stages. Ignoring periodic checkups increases the risk of developing oral cancer considerably. Some dental health insurance plans also cover oral cancer detection and treatment. Smokers need to consult their dental surgeons every six months to reduce their likelihood of developing gum diseases and cancer.

Helps to keep bad habits in check

Bad habits range from not flossing to smoking. Eating sugary treats immediately before bed, or picking teeth excessively with pointy things like metal toothpicks also insult the integrity of oral health. Drinking coffee, red wine, smoking, eating hard candy, grinding teeth and clenching jaws can also deteriorate dental health significantly.

Your dentist can check all sorts of oral damage any of your bad habits may have caused. He or she can inform you about the possible implications of any bad habit you might have. It not only helps to notice these habits you may have missed but also assists an adult in keeping a check on them. He or she might suggest a few changes in your lifestyle that can prevent the different implications they have on your oral health. At the same time, he or she can treat the existing damage.

Help to find hidden problems

Have you been facing excessive pain in your jaws? Has your gum been bleeding without apparent cause? The reasons for these conditions may lie deep within the surface. Without the intervention of a dental surgeon, it is impossible to detect some dental issues including bone decay, misaligned teeth, cysts or tumors.

Dental surgeons usually have the equipment including X-rays that can reveal the structure of your teeth that is invisible to the naked eye. These might come across as negligible problems in the beginning, but they can exacerbate pain and swelling later in life. Even a misaligned wisdom tooth can take away your night’s sleep for days without revealing the cause of the pain. Some of these conditions require surgical intervention, while others like infections and inflammations respond to antibiotics and painkillers. Only your dentist is qualified enough to prescribe the medicines and other treatment you need for the alleviation of the conditions.

Missing work or school for a dental checkup might seem excessively unnecessary to many. However, visiting the dental clinic every six months can prove to be an investment in the long run. There is no substitute for healthy teeth and gums. If you are worried about spending your hard-earned money on seemingly unnecessary checkups, always remember that detecting disease in its early stage costs significantly lesser than diagnosing it at a chronic stage.