Have you ever wondered why routine dental visits are important? Most people are familiar with dentists recommending that a person makes an appointment once or twice a year. Many people go without doing so because of a lack of understanding of why it actually matters. After all, if it is simply a dentist trying to draw in patients, what is the point of visiting twice per year?
The truth is that dental visits are incredibly important because they are the only way to truly maintain healthy teeth and gums and to prevent oral health problems.
Patients are the ones who win when it comes to scheduling routine dental visits. If we can reduce oral health problems, the likelihood of suffering from dental discomfort also goes down. Simultaneously, it is far less expensive and faster to have teeth cleaned and examined twice per year than to wait to visit the dentist until a major health problem has occurred.
For example, a dental infection can lead to tooth loss and the need for costly replacement solutions such as a dental bridge, dentures or dental implants. However, with ongoing and routine maintenance, we can often prevent tooth loss and avoid it all together.
When a patient visits our clinic, we will begin by examining their teeth and gums. During this physical examination, we will be looking for signs of decay. These are typically soft spots that form in the tooth and they may be discolored.
We will also look to see if there is any swelling in the gum tissue or if the gums have been receding since this can indicate that a patient has gum disease. On occasion, we will also take x-rays to see if there are any health problems with the tooth roots or jawbone.
When we identify tooth decay early on, we are able to remove the decayed portion of the tooth while it is relatively small. This can be done before a patient even realizes they have decay or a cavity. Once a decayed portion of the tooth is gone we will clean the area and then fill it. We can even do so using a tooth colored filling so that no one will be able to tell the tooth was ever damaged.
Doing this step on a regular and frequent basis allows us to maintain the health of a patient's teeth before a level of decay is reached that causes serious discomfort or spreads to the point of requiring a root canal. This is highly beneficial for patients since it is difficult to live with dental pain and these routine appointments can go a long way in preventing it.
Simultaneously, gum disease is a common problem that can lead to tooth loss but is possible to prevent. Typically, gum disease occurs because there is a buildup of plaque on the tooth underneath the gum tissue. Regular dental visits and cleanings allow us to remove plaque from the teeth and around the gum tissue before it has the opportunity to become trapped there. Patients who visit the dentist twice a year are very unlikely to develop gum disease.
Essentially, visiting our clinic for regular dental visits can prevent discomfort and dental damage, save patients money and be more convenient than waiting until an infection has formed.
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