The guidance of dentists is essential for comprehensive oral health care

When setting health goals, we often overlook the aspects of oral hygiene and health which is a big mistake. That happens because the body and physique being most visible seem to be at the center of health considerations while we think about oral health only when we face some problems. Poor oral health can lead to many other diseases and not only illnesses related to the mouth. Therefore, you must always take good care of your mouth, teeth, and gums and include it among your essential health goals. Often, people take teeth for granted hoping that it will last for a lifetime on its own but the truth is just the opposite. You have to take proper care of your teeth and gums to ensure its longevity and trouble-free existence by preventing bad breath and tooth decay. 

It is an irony that despite learning about the importance of brushing teeth regularly from our childhood, we seldom pay attention to oral hygiene. One of the first rhymes that we learn has the message of tooth care ingrained in it. Who can forget the lilting tune - ‘This is the way we brush our teeth?' Strangely, we remember the song but not the underlying message which is more important for leading a healthy life.  Studies have shown that regular brushing and flossing has several health benefits beyond oral health. A healthy mouth helps to ward off many other diseases and medical disorders.  Neglecting oral health can prove quite costly because gum disease can lead to heart attacks and stroke besides inducing pre-term labor and poorly controlled diabetes.

The mouth indicates your overall health

The health of your mouth can reveal a lot about your overall health condition.  The dentists at Oxford Dental Care can assess your oral health and tell you what is going on inside your body.  A periodical visit to the dentist will not only ensure healthy gums and teeth but would also alert you about any adverse health condition foreseen through the process. Although the dentist will primarily take care of your dental health, they can also help to detect early signs of some systematic disease in your body that can affect many other parts of the body.  Mouth lesions or oral problems that become persistent often relate to diabetes or HIV/AIDs. Almost 90% of systematic diseases have oral signs and symptoms, and early detection can lead to effective treatment and cure.

Have a healthy smile by taking care of tartar and plaque

Regular brushing and flossing help to prevent the formation of tartar and plaque on teeth. Theoretically, the statement sounds quite meaningful, but in real life, it does not work in that way always. The reason is that everyone does not follow the correct method of brushing, does not use the right type of toothbrush, and even if they do, every toothbrush has its limitations of reaching to every crevice and corner of teeth. There will be some remote areas across the teeth that the toothbrush cannot access and these become happy hunting grounds for tartar and plaque. Since the condition is neither painful initially nor visible easily, people tend to neglect it, but this is when the trouble starts.

Tartar helps in bacteria growth that leads to cavities and gum diseases and can complicate things for you. A regular dental checkup can help to avoid the problem because dentists use the appropriate tools for complete cleaning of your teeth leaving no room for tartar to grow thereby ensuring good oral health.

Cavities or Tooth Decay

Our teeth remain covered with enamel that protects it and when tooth decay sets in it begin by damaging the tooth enamel. When you fail to take good care of your teeth, you will observe that a colorless and sticky mass clings to your teeth which results from bacteria formation. Known as plaque, this can lead to cavities and tooth decay. Although we think that cavities happen with children only, it can affect people of all ages provided you have natural teeth. Not only plaque, but gum diseases can also lead to tooth decay. Regular use of toothpaste containing fluoride and mouth rinse helps to protect teeth by keeping bacteria at bay. A dentist can administer fluoride treatment for your teeth to treat cavities.

Gum diseases or Gingivitis

Gum diseases result from infections that harm not only gums but also the bone that holds teeth in its place.  When plaque forms on your teeth and you neglect it, it turns into a hard covering or tartar that is harmful to teeth, and it does not go away during brushing. Allowing plaque and tartar to grow for a long time can pose serious problems as it starts attacking gums that might become red and swollen and even start bleeding. It is a clear sign of gingivitis also known as a periodontal disease that can eventually result in tooth removal.  Leaving gingivitis untreated for a long time can loosen the gums and separate it from your teeth thereby forming pockets that become the home for infections. The dentist will then confirm that you are suffering from periodontitis.

The infection can ruin the gums, bones, and tissues and you should never allow it to cause any harm by arranging for timely intervention by dentists.

Diagnosis of Gingivitis

For diagnosing Gingivitis, dentists will usually review your medical and dental history and assess the conditions that may contribute to the disease. They will then examine your oral health including teeth, gums, tongue, and mouth to detect inflammation and signs of plaque. Dentists measure the pocket depth with the help of a dental probe at various places of the mouth, and if they find that the pocket depth is more than 4 millimeters, then it is gum disease. To asses, if any bone loss has happened, dentists use X-ray for investing what occurs under the gums. If the tests do not reveal the cause of Gingivitis, then you may have to undergo a medical evaluation for underlying conditions of health, and you may have to go to a periodontist who specializes in gum diseases.

Treatment of Gingivitis

The sooner you can treat gingivitis the better it is because it prevents more severe gum diseases that can eventually result in tooth loss. You have to ensure good oral care by following a daily routine and must abstain from tobacco use to ensure that the treatment is successful. Dental cleaning, dental restoration, and ongoing care are the standard methods involved in the treatment of gingivitis.

• Dental cleaning–Scaling and root planning is the name of the procedure that dentists follow for removing all traces of plaque and tartar as well as bacteria from your teeth. Scaling is effective in removing tartar from the surface of the tooth and beneath the gums. For eliminating bacterial products produced by inflammation, smoothening the root surfaces and discouraging the growth of bacteria and tartar, the procedure of root planning is useful. The process entails the use of special dental instruments and an ultrasonic or laser device.
• Dental restoration – Some people have poorly fitting crowns or misaligned teeth that make regular cleaning by brushing entirely ineffective. The same happens if people have some dental restorations or bridges that do not allow the toothbrush to clean the teeth properly thereby allowing the growth of dental plaque. If the problems persist for long with no remedy in sight, dental restoration is the standard advice of dentists.
• Maintain oral hygiene – Although professional cleaning clears up gingivitis, you have to maintain good oral health at home to prevent recurrence. The dentist will guide you in setting up an effective home program combined with periodical cleaning and checkups by qualified dentists.

Shed your inhibitions of visiting dental clinics

Many people have apathy of visiting dentists for preventive checkups and will only make it when they are in some trouble. This approach can delay the detection of problems and increase your suffering which you can avoid by having a routine checkup of your oral health. Despite being aware of the consequences of neglecting dental health, few people would include dental checkup in the regular health care plan.

To encourage patients to shed their inhibitions about visiting dental clinics, some clinics have taken special initiative to make the clinics attractive to patients. They have created an ambiance of comfort to make patients feel relaxed and comfortable so that they are ready to spend time at the place without any concern about the accompanying discomforts of treatment.

The clinics use light, and tranquil music that helps patients relax and a pleasant and charming odor of vanilla or lavender floats in the air. They even offer beverages and light drinks to the waiting patients so that they can enjoy the time in a relaxed atmosphere that encourages them to stick around until their turn comes.

Whenever you take up the toothbrush, use it as an occasion to remind yourself of visiting the dentist at some interval no matter how well you take care of your teeth. That would leave you with no regrets about your oral health.