Top 10 Reasons To Visit a Dentist Today

No one enjoys dental checkups. Furthermore, visiting your dentist means taking time off work, or it eats into your leisure time. So, what’s the point of regular dental checkups if you believe there is nothing wrong with your teeth? Well, there are more benefits to regular dental checkups than you may have realized. Here are 10 reasons not to skip your next appointment.

1. Detect and Treat Problems Early

Regular dental checkups enable your dentist to monitor your oral health and identify and treat problems before they become serious. The sooner dental problems are discovered, the easier it will be to treat them. For example, a filling is a much simpler procedure than a root canal. And Gingivitis, early-stage gum disease, can be treated, but periodontitis can not be reversed.

2. Remove Plaque and Tartar

A checkup appointment at a dentist will include a thorough cleaning of your teeth by a dental hygienist. Even the most diligent brushing and flossing will leave some plaque and tartar, which can harden and cause further problems. A regular professional cleaning will prevent this plaque and tartar from building up and hardening.

3. Spot Invisible Problems

A dental checkup will also include taking X-rays of your teeth, which may reveal unseen problems. Not all dental issues cause toothache. Consequently, some problems can worsen over time, unknown to the patient. X-rays will enable your dentist to detect and treat unseen issues before they become potentially more severe and painful.

4. Oral Cancer Screening

A further benefit of a dental checkup is that the dentist or hygienist will perform oral cancer screening as part of the service. If oral cancer is caught early enough, it is often easily treatable. A dentist also will check the head, neck, and lymph nodes for lumps or abnormalities and refer you to a specialist if any problems are detected.

5. Maximize Insurance Benefits

Health and dental insurance benefits don’t usually roll over from one year to the next. Consequently, if you don’t use your entitlement, you will have paid for nothing. So, if your insurance includes two checkups and cleanings a year, it would be best to take advantage of that benefit.

6. Keep Your Smile Bright

Teeth are not naturally dazzling white. Nevertheless, teeth whitening is one of the most commonly requested dental treatments. However, regular cleaning by a dental hygienist could keep your teeth naturally bright and eliminate the need for teeth whitening. Even if you opt for teeth whitening, regular cleaning will increase the time before further whitening is needed.

7. Sets a Good Example for Children

Children should start having regular checkups as soon as the first tooth comes through. However, kids will be reluctant to get into the regular checkup habit if their parents and other family members never visit the dentist. Attending your six-monthly dental checkups will set an example to the children in your life, getting them into a routine that will benefit them for life.

8. Help You Take Care of Your Teeth at Home

It’s easy to get into bad habits with oral hygiene. For example, you might not be flossing or flossing too vigorously. Or, you might be brushing your teeth too hard. Your dentist can spot problems caused by your oral care routine during a checkup and advise you appropriately, preventing further damage to your teeth. They also will tell you about the damage that other habits are causing, such as nail biting and smoking.

9 Monitor Progress Following Treatment

Some dental treatments take time to heal. For example, while gum tissue will heal within four to six weeks following an extraction, the bone can take up to eight months to heal. Furthermore, the healing process depends on your care of the treated area. Regular checkups allow your dentist to monitor your recovery progress after such treatments.

10. Avoid the Need for Dentures in Later Life

Wearing dentures in later life is not an inevitable part of old age. Indeed, if you practice good oral care, there is no reason why you should not retain your natural teeth your entire life. Brushing and flossing play a crucial role in an oral care routine. But so do regular dental checkups, which ensure that minor problems are treated before they become more serious.

Let’s Sum It Up

Regular dental checkups save you money, avoid common oral health problems, and help to ensure that you retain your teeth in later life. Checkups also allow your dentist to detect other health issues early, such as lymph node problems and oral cancer, making them more easily treatable.

Your dentist will advise you how often a checkup will be required. As a rule of thumb, having a checkup every six months is advisable. This frequency may vary either way, according to the health of your teeth and gums. The crucial thing to remember is that even if you get a clean bill of health, a regular dental checkup is far from a waste of time.

Schedule and Visit Your Dentist Today

Dr. Paul Feldman at Suburban Essex Dental must be your dentist of choice if the travel to West Orange, New Jersey, in Essex County is doable. Dr. Paul Feldman has been rated a top NJ dentist for over 11 years and has not skipped a year of achieving this incredible status. So, contact us to start scheduling your regular dental checkups.