Top 5 reasons why you should visit the dentist
Many people think that cleaning their teeth is enough to look after them and satisfy this part of their health. Just like many of us exercise, watch what we eat, but still need to visit the doctor on occasions, so you need to visit the dentist in the same way. We promise this blog post is not an exercise in self-promotion, but we will give you the factual reasons why you should visit a dental professional regularly.
Many people skip dental appointments or avoid going all together. This can be for many reasons including cost, fear, or just the thought that it is pointless. Visiting the dentist regularly gives you peace of mind – let’s think about why this so. The mouth is a vast space and contains many places which we can’t see or reach. It then makes sense to involve someone who can gain unrestrictive access to this area to give it a comprehensive examination and this is exactly what a dentist does.
If you are in the ‘what’s the point’ group with respect to visiting the dentist then here are the main reasons why you should:
1) Plaque and bacteria
We have already alluded to the idea that toothbrushing alone is not enough (and that goes for flossing and using mouthwashes too.) Regular visits to the dentist can help to treat plaque from building up – this is especially important in difficult to reach areas or those hard to be seen. As plaque builds up it becomes harder to remove making it even more critical that a professional addresses this.
2) Detection of oral cancer
Most people are unaware that dentists check for oral cancer and that without knowing some of the signs or symptoms in how this can present, it can make it difficult to spot yourself. Like doctors, dentists are highly trained professionals and can easily detect when something is not right with the mouth. Visiting the dentist regularly allows any changes to be monitored and anything detected early.
3) Gum problems
Gum issues affect everyone at some point in life and most can be treated at home by using simply remedies or altering diet / lifestyle a little. Advanced gum issues can present real problems including bleeding, swollen gums and eventually tooth lost. Sometimes early gum problems are not noticeable as they don’t always produce symptoms. Visiting a dentist allows for your gums aswell as your teeth to be checked many anything preventative can be done much sooner.
4) Checking of the head, neck and lymph nodes
Dentists don’t just check the teeth and mouth, but also areas around and associated with these, including the jaw area. Once again any changes or abnormalities can be difficult to spot to an untrained person. Although lymph nodes can become swollen these are often symptom or painless meaning problems can go undetected for a long time. A quick but regular check of these areas is all that it takes.
5) X-Rays
One thing you definitely can’t do is take your own x-ray. We have already established that certain parts of the mouth are difficult to reach, and perhaps a step further than that, there are places which can’t be seen with the eye at all. The taking of X-rays allows the dentist to be able to see what is happening below the surface of the mouth or gums making it much easier to spot certain problems.
What to take from this article
* Visiting the dentist is important for a wide variety of reasons – many of which you probably never thought about.
* Dentists are more than just experts at teeth and can help find a range of other problems aswell.
If you are thinking of joining us as a patient, visit our why choose us section now, where you can find out more about the dental clinic.