6 Reasons Why Routine Dental Checkups Are Important

Routine Dental Checkups

Many people think that just because their mouth isn’t in pain and their teeth aren’t loose, that they don’t need a regular dental checkup. Unfortunately, it’s not that easy to navigate and diagnose your own mouth. X-rays may be needed to check the pockets underneath the gums, and let you know of any onset periodontal disease, or other diseases that may arise because of a lack of care. It may seem scary, but with the proper dental facility, professionals will ease your nerves and make sure you’re in the best care. Let’s take a look at six reasons why you should always get routine dental checkups:

Detecting Oral Cancer

One of the scariest things that could be found in your mouth is oral cancer. It’s not that easy to detect in your mouth, despite being able to see inside your mouth. Professionals are able to see the beginning signs that they can monitor over the next couple of visits. An extremely serious disease that has more than one starting symptom, oral cancer can progress quite quickly and be very life threatening, along with a few starting symptoms.

A trained professional knows how to look for these signs, despite it not being so apparent to use. You should get a checkup for this every six months, and always make sure to stay ahead of the game and contact your local professional if you feel that something is off. Getting ahead and making sure you catch oral cancer in the early stages is imperative to the success of beating it, and having it not spread. Your dentist should be trained in treating said abnormalities.

There are cancer exams like the VELScope that are pain-free (for those anxious), as well as non-invasive, that help detect oral cancer. This exam takes less than two minutes and is able to look for any dead tissue that may be lying around in your mouth and underneath places you may not be able to see. There is also a special light that may be shown to help further detect.

Cavities, Plaque, and Tartar

Another dread, but more common issue, comes in the form of a cavity, or tartar and plaque build-up. You might be the picture-perfect flosser, but that doesn’t mean you’re immune from cavities or plaque. When plaque builds up on your teeth, and you don’t have a professional look at it, it then will become tartar. Dental cleanings are required to prevent and reduce tartar, which can erode your teeth and decrease the structural integrity.

Gum Disease and Periodontal Disease

While plaque and tartar are both things you’ll want to look out for, gum disease and periodontal issues are right behind, and can be caused by not brushing and flossing. If it gets too far, you run the risk of loosing your teeth because of pockets making the sockets looser.

Checking Oral Damage from Bad Habits

A lot of the population are smokers, unfortunately, and you can combat the damage you’re actively doing by making sure you get to the dentist. If you’re trying to quit, more kudos to you; however, it’s important to look for damages caused. Smoking isn’t the only bad habit you should visit a dentist for, and there could be damage from jaw clenching, biting your nails, chewing ice, grinding, and even the inevitable sweet tooth. Make sure your mouth is in tip-top shape despite your bad habits.

Finding Problems Underneath

Oral issues don’t just stem from the view of the teeth – dentists often have to go further below the surface to pinpoint problems like large pockets, jawbone damage, cysts, swelling, wisdom teeth impaction, and more. When you don’t have a simple x-ray done, you could be doing more harm than good, despite visiting your dentist for a quick cleaning.

Lymph Node Checks

Lymph node checks are often something that no one thinks about when they go to a dentist, but a proper one can spot swollen ones in your mouth and neck. These may point to signs of oral cancer and should be treated immediately.

If you think you’re in the market for a professional who can assist you with any of these problems, contact Smiles Dentistry at (416) 588-8004 today.

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