Some of us never really grew out of our fear of the dentist. Some of us just don’t really think we have time in our busy schedules. Whatever your reason for neglecting your visits to the dentist, in this article I’m going to list the top five reasons that you should be getting your routine dental checkup.
5. Oral Cancer
Oral cancer is a very dangerous illness that if left undetected and untreated can end up taking your life. Because it manifests in different ways it can be difficult to detect the early warning signs yourself, but your dentist is well trained in detecting oral cancer. If you regularly keep up with your dentist visits every six months, you are significantly reducing your chances of death from oral cancer because you can make sure you catch it early. If you’re a smoker or chew tobacco, then you can be at an even higher risk of oral cancer so you should consider that when procrastinating on that dentist visit.
4. X- Rays
As much as we’d like to be able to do everything ourselves, the dentist has specialized hardware such as x-ray machines that allow them to notice oral damage you wouldn’t normally be able to see. X-rays are especially useful when it comes to impacted (or stuck) teeth, as well as damage to the jaw. In addition to this x-ray machines also let the dentist see if you’re suffering from any bone decay.
3. Deep Cleanings
Our toothbrushes and floss can only get us so far on their own. While brushing and flossing is our first line of defense at home from plaque and build-up, it’s not enough to prevent it on it’s own. It’s highly important that you get a cleaning from your dentist twice a year to make sure your teeth are staying clean and healthy. The dentist simply has tools and experience that will allow them to clean your teeth much more thoroughly than you could at home.
2. Gum Disease
Gum disease can cause all kind of issues down the line. Unlike a chipped tooth or a cavity, it’s difficult to notice on your own so it’s imperative that you go to the dentist so that you can receive treatment if you have gum disease. On top of that, those that skip out on their dentist’s appointments are the most likely to get gum disease because they’re not regularly receiving the deep cleanings from the dentist.
1. Cavities
Many of us have had to experience a cavity, (especially sugar loving kids) and those people can tell you that it isn’t particularly fun. The longer you procrastinate on treating a cavity the worse it can become, and getting regular dentist checkups is the best way to detect and treat caveties before they become a problem. In addition to that, by going to the dentist more often you should become more conscious about your oral health in general and would hopefully avoid foods and drinks that cause cavities in the first place.
