5 Benefits of Regular Dental Visits

Practicing proper oral hygiene, like daily brushing and flossing, is essential to your oral health, but you also need to maintain regular visits to your dentist. Without regular dental visits, oral health problems like cavities and gum disease will likely worsen and become more painful, difficult, and costly to treat.   

Why are Regular Dental Appointments Important?  

According to the American Dental Association, you need to visit the dentist twice a year. Regular dental visits allow your dentist to monitor your oral health, detect any issues early when they’re easier to treat and provide crucial preventive dental care. Besides helping you maintain good oral health, regular dental visits also play a vital role in your overall health. Gum disease is linked to various systemic illnesses, including heart disease, diabetes, respiratory disease, osteoporosis, and rheumatoid arthritis. By visiting the dentist regularly, you can stay on top of your health and prevent dental issues like gum disease. 

What Does a Dental Visit Look Like at Believe Dental Care?

A typical dental visit at Believe Dental Care usually involves the following:   

• Dental cleaning: During your visit, our dental hygienist will professionally clean your teeth to remove plaque and tartar. We use special tools like an ultra-sonic scaler and high-powered toothbrush to thoroughly clean your teeth surfaces. We’ll also expertly floss your teeth to remove plaque between your teeth.   
• Dental exam: Our dentist will examine your teeth and gums for signs of cavities, gum disease, bite issues, damaged restorations, and loose or broken teeth. We will also examine the soft tissues of your mouth, like the floor and roof of the mouth, tongue, and cheeks, as well as the back of your throat, for any spots, lesions, cuts, swellings, growths, and other abnormalities.    
• X-rays: Depending on what we find during your exam, we may take x-rays to better look at what’s happening underneath your gums.   
• Dental treatment recommendations: If we find any oral health issue, we will discuss your treatment options and provide recommendations for the best next steps. This can include restorative treatments like crowns or fillings.   

What are the Top Five Benefits of Visiting the Dentist?  

Regular cleanings and exams come with several benefits, including:   

• Prevent cavities, plaque, and tartar: Even with regular brushing and flossing, there are still small areas in the mouth that you can’t reach. When plaque builds up, it solidifies and turns into tartar, which is extremely difficult to get rid of without professional help. Plaque and tartar contain bacteria that erode the tooth enamel and create holes, which is how cavities are formed. This can all be avoided with a professional dental cleaning to take care of plaque and tartar buildup before it becomes destructive. 
• Early detection for oral health issues through x-rays: Dental radiography allows your dentist to diagnose issues with your teeth and gums that can’t be easily detected on the surface. X-rays can help detect gum disease, bone decay in your jaw, tumors, tooth decay, impacted teeth, cysts, and other oral health issues. Catching these issues as soon as possible is critical for proper treatment.  
• Early detection of gum disease: Most people with early-stage gum disease (gingivitis) often experience no symptoms, so without regular dental check-ups, the condition will worsen, resulting in bone loss and tooth loss. Luckily, gum disease can easily be reversed when caught and treated early.  
• Prevents tooth decay, gum disease, and tooth loss: Tooth decay and gum disease are the leading causes of tooth loss and are caused by the bacteria in plaque and tartar. When you visit the dentist every six months, your teeth will be professionally cleaned, removing all accumulated diseases-causing bacteria on your teeth. This effectively prevents tooth decay, gum disease, and tooth loss.   
• Prevents dry mouth/bad breath: During regular dental visits, your dentist can find and treat gum disease, dry mouth, or other problems that may cause chronic bad breath. 

Schedule Your Next Dental Appointment at Believe Dental Care  

Prevention is critical for oral health, and one of the best ways to do that is by maintaining regular dental cleanings and exams. These visits allow your dentist to monitor your oral health and detect and address any issues before they progress, saving you from a lot of pain, tooth loss, and costly restorative treatments. If it’s been more than six months since your last dental visit in Swanton, OH, contact us today to schedule an appointment!