Your oral health is an essential part of your overall health and wellbeing. Additionally, maintaining your teeth in the right condition will give you a good smile which could boost and maintain your aesthetic appearance and self-esteem. In addition to routine oral hygiene practices, visiting your dentist regularly has far-reaching benefits in the long run.
Whether it is a tight schedule, fear of dental check-ups, or lack of dental insurance, there are a wide array of reasons why an individual could choose to skip a dental check-up. Dentists recommend that you make at least two dental visits a year, even when you do not have complications. This helps prevent dental problems, early detection of complications, and treatment to maintain proper oral health.
Unfortunately, many people make it a habit to skip their dental check-ups until they have a toothache, broken restoration, or other complications. This causes worsening of this dental condition and could result in far worse issues like tooth loss. Additionally, you are likely to spend more money when your dental complications have advanced. If you have been skipping or delaying your dental check-ups, you need to schedule an appointment with a dentist right away.
The following are some of the long term benefits of regularly visiting your dentist:
Prevention of Dental Complications
Preventive dental care is the key to ensuring that you enjoy good oral health throughout your lifetime. Preventing dental complications is a significant long-term benefit of visiting your dentist. Most dental issues are very painful and can also affect other aspects of your health. Therefore, preventing them would save you unnecessary pain associated with these complications and their treatment.
Preventive dental treatment procedures that your dentist could recommend during your routine dental visits include:
- Teeth cleaning. You do not need to have a dental problem to undergo teeth cleaning. Your dentist will clean your teeth by removing tartar and plaque and tooth polishing.
- Fluoride treatment. In addition to basic teeth cleaning, your dentist could recommend fortification with fluoride. Fluoride is a critical mineral in discouraging the production of acids by bacteria and strengthening the enamel. If your dentist feels that you are at risk of fluoride deficiency-related complications, they can recommend a fluoride treatment.
- Placement of dental sealants. Dental sealants are thin sheets of plastic and are placed on the grooves of the teeth. The dental sealant protects your teeth from bacteria and food particles responsible for decay. If you are at a high risk of developing cavities or tooth decay, your dentist could recommend that you have your teeth fitted with dental sealants. The procedure of placing dental sealants does not exceed one hour, and it protects you from damage while saving the costs associated with the treatment of dental complications.
Early Detection of Dental Issues
One of the most significant long-term benefits of regular dental check-ups is the early detection of dental complications. Preventing dental issues is better than treatment. However, early detection could help in more effective treatment when the complications have already started developing. During your visit, the dentist will:
- Examine your gums. According to the center for disease control, many adults have periodontitis. Your dentist will examine your gums for clues of potential gum disease. This could include redness or swelling. Therefore, visiting your dentist regularly will help detect the condition in its early stages. This prevents it from spreading and causing more severe issues.
- Check for cavities. Sometimes we may not tice a cracked tooth or a cavity until we experience severe toothache or sensitivity. The cavities will harbor bacteria that spread to the pulp and tooth root when left untreated. Severe progression of cavities can cause life-threatening blood infections. When cavities are detected in the early stages, the filling is easier, and the dentist will be able to save your tooth.
- Check for plaque and tartar. Once tartar and plaque have formed on your teeth, it may be impossible to remove them with regular brushing. Plaque develops gradually, and when it is too much, it could harbor damaging tooth bacteria. During your regular check-ups, your dentist will notice the formation of tartar and recommend a way to remove it before it causes other problems like tooth decay and gum disease.
- Examine the risk of oral cancer. During your routine dental visit, the dentist examines your teeth, gums, and other parts of your mouth. Mouth cancer is one of the most serious oral health complications. If your dentist notices any risk of oral cancer, there is an option to treat it before it spreads to other parts of your mouth.
Assessment of Previous Dental Procedures
Most dental procedures are not permanent. The dental restorations may be prone to damage. When left uncorrected, damaged dental restorations like crowns, onlays, inlays, and veneers can cause further complications and deterioration of your oral health. During the routine visits, your dentist will check the health of your restorations. If any damage is detected, it can be corrected, or the dentist can recommend a way to solve the problem.
Gives you Options
When you are diagnosed with a dental problem, it feels good to know that you have options to treat the problem, prevent further complications, and preserve the integrity of your oral health. Having options allows you to choose how to proceed, depending on your budget.
When you visit your dentist regularly, and the dental complications are detected early, you will have many options. For example, when you have a decayed tooth, the early stages of tooth decay can be treated with a filling that is less expensive and not painful. When the damage progresses, and the fillings are no longer applicable, your options are narrowed down to dental crown or the inlays and onlays. If left untreated and your tooth enamel is completely damaged, you could lose the tooth.
You Can Take Advantage of Professional Cleaning
While regular brushing and flossing are essential to maintaining good oral hygiene, removing all food particles and plaque from your teeth may not be possible. Even for individuals who practice proper oral hygiene, dental complications like tooth decay and um disease. Therefore, regular dental visits allow you to undergo professional dental cleaning.
When done by your dentist, teeth cleaning involves using a scaler to remove plaque and tartar that forms between your teeth. Your dentist will use a special mirror to determine whether or not there is a plaque build-up. The amount of time the dentist spends scraping off the plaque varies significantly depending on the density of the tartar.
After removing tartar, your dentist uses an electric toothbrush to remove the remaining plaque and tartar and rinse your mouth. In addition to the cleaning, your dentist could apply fluoride, an essential mineral for the strength and health of the tooth enamel. Fluoride treatment helps protect your teeth from cavities and decay.
A professional dental cleaning can remove tartar and plaque that is challenging to clean by regular brushing. Additionally, the dentist can clean in-between your teeth and under the gums without causing any damage.
You Receive Adequate Dental Health Education
The education you receive from your dentist is an underrated benefit of regularly visiting with your dentist. After assessing your teeth, gums, and mouth for any signs of oral health complications, your dentist will advise you on habits and lifestyle choices you may need to give up if you want to maintain your oral health. Sometimes, if you are at risk of a particular complication, you will be informed of what you can do to prevent further damage. Some of the common knowledge on dental health that you could receive during your check-ups include:
- Diet and nutrition. If you are at risk of some dental complications or have signs of particular health conditions, your dentist will advise you on foods to take and what to avoid. The dentist discourages sugary foods, ice, and other hard foods in most cases. This is because of their potential to damage your teeth.
- Teeth grinding. If your dentist finds signs of tooth chipping or breakage that they believe is caused by bruxism, they will advise you on the right measures you need to take to curb this habit and protect the tooth.
- Bad habits. Habits like chewing on ice and smoking could be discouraged during your regular visits to the dentist. If you are a smoker, your dentist could spot tooth discoloration and bad breath signs. When you engage in these habits and fail to consult with your dentist regularly, you may not realize the risk they cause until you have developed severe complications like gum disease or mouth cancer.
- Oral hygiene education. Like adults, your children will need regular dental checks. During these visits, the dentist will teach them the proper way to brush and floss their teeth for ultimate results in removing plaque and leftover foods.
Helps with Possible Sleep Problems
It may be challenging to tell what you have when you suffer from sleep disorders unless you visit the dentist. The dentist will spot complications associated with this condition during your regular dental visits, such as bruxism. In this case, they can carry out a further assessment and treat the underlying sleep disorder. When you skip your dental visits, the condition may not be detected, and this could cause further complications.
Additionally, your dentist may be able to assess if you will need oral devices to treat sleeping disorders such as sleep apnea.
Advice on Cosmetic Procedures
Having a bright, pearly white smile may seem like a shallow reason to seek dental care. However, your smile could affect your appearance and, in return, your self-image and esteem. For this reason, dental procedures are not only aimed at the prevention or treatment of your dental problems. Some dental procedures are solely cosmetic and are aimed at improving your smile.
However, it is essential to understand that not everyone is a candidate for cosmetic procedures. If you consider a cosmetic procedure like veneers, teeth whitening, or dental crown, you can take advantage of the routine dental check-ups to inquire about your eligibility from the dentist.
Saves Money in the Long Run
Millions of Americans skip going to the dentist for a variety of reasons. While most people think that you need to have a dental problem to see the dentist, others think skipping dental visits is a way to save money. Unfortunately, failing to stick to your dental visits may result in more dental problems, which might cost you a lot in treatment and sometimes cosmetic procedures.
According to studies, each dollar you save on preventive measures for your oral health will save you several more restorative procedures. Additionally, preventive measures for dental health complications are cheaper than restorative and cosmetic procedures. If you have dental insurance cover, they will likely cover the total cost of your preventive procedure and partial treatment procedures and rarely cover cosmetic procedures. If you want to maintain good oral health and save some money in the end, regular dental visits should be on your list of things you need to do.
Find a Skilled Los Angeles Dentist Near Me
Good oral health is key to your overall wellbeing. While maintaining proper oral hygiene like brushing and flossing is essential, regular dental check-ups are critical to maintaining proper oral health. During your dental visits, your dentist will help detect dental conditions, treat underlying complications, and check up on existing dental restorations and procedures.
Dental check-ups and comprehensive exams may seem just like a routine. However, the benefits outweigh the discomfort and fear of dental procedures. Your oral health is a critical part of your life, and you will not entrust it to just anyone. Having a reliable dentist is key to the outcome of your dental visits and optimum dental health.
At Washington Dental, we offer a wide range of dental treatment procedures for your entire family. We serve clients requiring dental check-ups and preventive and treatment procedures in Carson, Los Angeles, Torrance, and Lomita, CA. Call us today at to book an appointment.
