We all know how crucial it is to care for and protect our health, but sometimes we can delay or fall behind on preventative care, especially for our teeth. Whether it is the fear of dental visits, a lack of dental insurance, or a tight schedule, there are several reasons why many people skip dental check-ups.
However, scheduling regular appointments with your dentist is important because preventative care is crucial to your overall smile and health. Focusing on the long-term advantages, visiting your dentist at least twice a year could motivate you to take a more proactive approach to your dental and oral health. Read on to learn about the long-term benefits of visiting your dentist regularly.
Long-Term Benefits of Regular Dental Visits
While home-based dental and oral care routines like brushing and flossing can help you stay on top of your oral and dental health, it is not enough. Scheduling dental visits with your dentist at least twice a year gives him/her a chance to ensure that your dental and oral health are in excellent condition.
Explained below are some of the long-term benefits of scheduling regular dental exams and check-up appointments with your dentist:
Prevention of Oral and Dental Health Issues
The phrase “prevention is better than cure” is particularly true for dental and oral health issues. Preventing dental and oral health issues is a long-term benefit of scheduling frequent dental appointments with your dentist.
During routine dental check-ups, your dentist will clean and remove stubborn stains and plaque build-up from the surface of your teeth and below your gum line to prevent dental issues like cavities. During every regular dental appointment, your dentist will also check for any abnormalities in your mouth that could worsen over time if left untreated.
Applying dental sealants, prescribing fluoride treatment, and filling cavities are some common treatment options that can protect you from painful and expensive treatments down the line. Skipping your routine dental visits means gambling with your future oral and dental health, which is not a wise idea.
Early Detection of Dental and Oral Health Issues
Undoubtedly, one of the critical benefits of regular dental visits is the early detection of dental health problems. Many oral and dental health issues are easy to treat, but when they are left unchecked, they can be fatal and challenging to treat, including gum disease and oral cancer.
Generally speaking, during your dental check-up appointment, your dentist will:
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Check Your Gum’s Health
Your dentist will keenly assess your gum tissues to determine whether they are signs of gum disease and offer necessary treatment if necessary.
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Examine Your Risk of Oral Cancer
While certain factors, like smoking, can increase your chances of developing oral cancer, any person can develop this deadly health issue. During routine dental exams, your dentist will check your gums and other soft tissues in your mouth for signs of oral cancer.
When he/she detects any sign of oral cancer, he/she will create a treatment plan to stop it before it progresses to other parts of the mouth.
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Check for Plaque Build-up or Tartar
Unfortunately, once tartar forms on your teeth' surfaces, removing it through home-based dental care routines like brushing could be challenging. When your dentist detects signs of tartar formation on the surface of your teeth during your routine dental check-ups, he/she will recommend a treatment plan to remove it before it becomes problematic.
Gives Your Dentist a Chance to Check Your Previous Dental Procedures
All dental restorations, like fillings, veneers, and crowns, are prone to wear and tear over time. During each dental appointment, your dentist will keenly check your existing dental restorations for signs of wear and tear.
If your dental restorations are loose, defective, or ineffective, your dentist can repair or adjust them to help you achieve the desired results as soon as possible. When left unchecked, the damaged dental restorations can cause severe and expensive dental health issues in the future.
Helps Prevent Bad and Unhealthy Habits That Can Compromise Your Oral and Dental Health
Several bad habits can create negative effects on your gums and teeth. Below are common bad and unhealthy habits that many people have and can affect their dental and oral health:
- Chewing ice.
- Clenching the jaw and grinding your teeth.
- Biting your nails.
- Eating too many sugary snacks.
- Drinking red wine and coffee.
- Smoking.
- Drinking carbonated beverages.
- Neglecting or avoiding regular dental visits.
If you have any of these habits, your dentist can help you create a treatment plan to keep them in check for healthy teeth and gums.
Helps Treat Bad Breath
Having bad breath can be embarrassing and discourage you from interacting with people. Having foul breath does not only occur when you eat too many onions or spicy foods. Sometimes, bad breath could be due to a condition known as halitosis caused by poor oral health habits.
Frequent dental visits allow your dentist to pinpoint the root cause of your persistent bad breath for appropriate treatment.
Helps Solve Sleep Problems
Unless you visit a dentist, it could be challenging to know the root cause of your sleep disorders. During your routine dental visits, your dentist will spot possible complications that could be causing your sleep disorder issues, including bruxism. When you skip your routine dental visits, this condition could go unnoticed, leading to more severe complications.
During routine dental visits, your dentist will also assess whether you require dental appliances to treat your sleep disorder.
Gives You Several Treatment Options
Being medically diagnosed with a dental or oral health issue can be a worrying experience, but many dental issues are treatable, especially when detected early. When a dental issue is detected early during your routine dental check-ups, your dentist can recommend various treatment options, depending on the severity of the condition.
For instance, if you have a decayed tooth (early stages of cavities), your dentist could recommend a filling, which is a pocket-friendly and non-invasive treatment procedure. However, when this decay progresses, compromising the inner part of your tooth (pulp chamber), your treatment options will lessen.
In that case, your dentist will likely recommend root canal therapy to fix the issue and prevent the progression of the infection.
You Will Receive Professional Cleaning
While routine teeth brushing and flossing are crucial to maintaining excellent oral and dental health, removing all food particles and stubborn plaque from the surface of your teeth could be challenging without professional intervention.
During your regular dental appointments, your dentist will clean your teeth thoroughly to remove stubborn stains and plaque you could not remove using home-based dental care practices. When cleaning your teeth, your dentist will use a dental tool known as a scalar to remove tartar and plaque build-up on and below the surface of your teeth.
How long your dentist will take to scrape off plaque from the surface of your teeth and polish them will depend on the density of the plaque build-up. In addition to thorough teeth cleaning, your dentist would apply fluoride to the surface of your teeth to strengthen them and keep cavities at bay.
You Will Receive Crucial Dental and Oral Health Education
The education and advice you will receive from the dentist are overlooked advantages of regular dental visits. After assessing and examining your gums, teeth, and tongue for abnormalities, your dentist can advise you on lifestyle choices and habits you need to ditch to stay on top of your dental and oral health.
If your dentist suspects you are more likely to develop a certain dental condition or issue, your dentist can advise what you can do at home to prevent the issue. Below are common knowledge on oral and dental health that you could receive during your routine dental check-ups:
- Oral and dental hygiene education.
- Healthy foods that you should incorporate into your diet to improve your dental health.
- Bad habits that you should give up to protect the health of your teeth.
Although many people know brushing their teeth daily after a meal is essential, some do not know how to do it properly, exposing them to the risk of dental issues. During your routine dental check-ups, your dentist will advise and guide you on how to brush your teeth effectively to avoid unknowingly jeopardizing your oral and dental health.
You Will Receive Advice on Cosmetic Procedures
A pearly white and bright smile could seem like a minor or shallow reason to schedule regular dental appointments. However, the aesthetic appearance of your smile could affect the self-esteem and confidence you need to face the world.
If you do not like the appearance of your smile, you should talk to your dentist about it during your regular appointments. Depending on your unique condition, your dentist could recommend any of the following cosmetic dental procedures to improve your smile's aesthetic appearance:
- Tooth contouring.
- Porcelain veneers.
- Teeth whitening.
- Gum contouring.
- Dental bonding.
Helps Lessen the Risk of Developing Chronic Diseases
Your dental and oral health is part of the bigger system, and health conditions like gum disease could grow to more serious conditions when left unchecked. Some of the conditions or diseases associated with gum disease include:
- Heart disease.
- Chronic kidney disease.
- Pneumonia.
- Alzheimer's disease.
- Rheumatoid arthritis.
- Diabetes.
You Can Preserve Your Natural Teeth
The quality of your natural teeth is undoubtedly irreplaceable. That is why it is important to protect your dental health at all costs to enjoy a healthy smile and several functions of your teeth throughout your lifetime. While it is natural to lose your teeth during teenagehood, losing your teeth is avoidable as an adult.
With routine dental check-ups for preventative care, you will save yourself from several complications associated with tooth loss.
Gives You Peace of Mind
Tooth sensitivity or any health concern could keep you awake at night. Many dental and oral health problems could cause severe health complications if left untreated. That is why scheduling regular dental appointments with your dentist is crucial.
Regular dental appointments allow your dentist to keep up with what is going on in your mouth, help with any discomfort, and formulate a plan for a follow-up.
You Will Save Money in the Long Run
As mentioned above, a dental issue will grow more severe with time when left untreated, attracting more costly treatment costs. However, you can avoid this by scheduling frequent appointments with your dentist for check-ups and exams.
It is easy to let regular dental check-ups slide in today's busy world, but you will not let that happen if you know the benefits you will reap in the long run. If you have more questions about the importance of routine dental check-ups, you should speak with your dentist to receive the answers you need.
Take Away Notes
Regular preventative dental check-ups are key to maintaining your dental and oral health. Aside from preventing tooth decay, oral cancer, and gum disease, regular dental check-ups and exams help you avoid unnecessary costs and pain caused by dental issues.
The best way to protect your loved ones' oral health throughout their lifetime is by introducing them to regular dental check-ups from a young age. Your dentist can track your loved one's dental and oral health and treat emerging issues before they become problematic.
Having a reliable dentist is the key to reaping the most benefits from your routine dental check-up appointment and achieving optimum dental health.
If you need to change your family dentist, or perhaps you have relocated to a new location, consider the following factors when looking for a family dentist:
- The dentist’s reputation.
- The dentist’s qualifications and experience.
- Whether the dentist has pepper licensing credentials.
- Whether the dentist’s accepts your insurance coverage.
Find a Credible Dentist Near Me
Are you ready to reap the benefits of regular dental visits?
We invite you to call our reliable team of dentists at Lasting Impressions Dental Spa at 818-751-5100 if you have any dental or health questions or concerns in Encino. We treat our clients as family and are ready to walk with you through this journey of protecting your dental and oral health.
