Why Routine Dental Exams and Cleanings Are Essential Care
Do you brush your teeth twice daily, floss them once as suggested by your dentist, and wonder why you might need verification from your dentist at half-yearly intervals that you are maintaining excellent dental hygiene? You can conjure up hundreds of reasons to skip dental appointments without realizing an equal number exist for visiting the dentist in Kearney, NE, to receive what you think is an unnecessary verification.
You might notice your friends and others have similar views of visiting dentists every six months, believing why are dental visits for exams and cleanings essential when they indulge in the habits of every day without exceptions. People’s feelings indicate they think dental visits are best set aside for occasions when they develop pain in their mouth from infections or injuries. Unfortunately, the reverse is true with dental visits because dentists help prevent unnecessary pain and safeguard against injuries as best as possible by recommending safety measures.
Minor Aches Better Treated Early Than Late
A microcavity on or between your teeth neither makes itself evident by causing severe pain or leaving dark spots on your teeth. However, micro-cavities are better treated early, getting them detected during x-rays taken by the dentist when you schedule dental exams and cleanings every six months to prevent the problem from aggravating.
An untreated cavity on your tooth doesn’t consider resting if you leave it unattended. In contrast, your mouth bacteria realize you have given them an excellent opportunity to burrow deeper to create additional damage. The bacteria don’t stop working until they reach the soft center of the tooth, the dental pulp. Dental pulp infections cause excruciating pain when eating or chewing, besides sensitivity to temperatures even after the sensation is removed. All this and more because you avoided your dentist’s recommended exams and cleanings, thinking you knew better.
When you treat micro-cavities on your teeth in a timely fashion, you avoid unnecessary pain in the tooth or risk losing it to extraction because of your negligence. In addition, a tooth with deep decay requires endodontic therapy to kill the infection and a dental crown to restore the tooth to full functionality. Your failure also costs considerable sums because root canals and dental crowns are significantly more expensive than getting dental fillings in a minor cavity.
Identify and Receive Treatment for Silent Killers
Are you aware of why dentists suggest dental cleanings near you every six months? If you don’t, you must realize that dental plaque, a thin film containing bacteria, occurs daily in your mouth to spread around your teeth and gums. Dental plaque is the primary cause of periodontal disease or gum disease, which occurs when you permit plaque to harden into tartar by improper brushing techniques or neglect dental visits.
Dental plaque constantly developing on your teeth is comfortably removable by brushing and flossing, but specks continue to remain between your teeth where you might find it challenging to clean. In addition, the plaque hardens into tartar within two days, making it impossible to remove it by cleaning your teeth. The best way to remove hardened tartar is to get a dental cleaning from the dentist nearby before the condition worsens to damage your gums and teeth and eventually cause tooth loss.
When you visit the Kearney dentist for oral prophylaxis, you receive a cleaning of your teeth and gums, and the professional ensures no plaque remains between your teeth to prevent the progress of gum disease. Unfortunately, periodontal infections are silent killers because they progress in your mouth without displaying significant symptoms but only show swollen and tender gums or some bleeding when brushing and flossing, which you might ignore or not notice. In addition, the advanced periodontal disease requires quarterly visits to dentists for intensive therapies, including bone grafting and flap surgery, costing thousands instead of the standard fees charged by dentists to help prevent this devastating condition in your mouth.
Additional Exams
Six monthly dental visits also make available to you oral cancer screenings you think are unnecessary. However, the dentist screens your mouth and maxillofacial area to ensure you do not have any abnormal lesions or lumps that might indicate signs of oral cancer. The exams are complementary and will not cost additional dollars to receive it. In addition, the dentist advises you on changes that might help your dental hygiene routine while offering advice on having nutritional foods and taking precautions to ensure you safeguard your mouth from injuries or impacts by wearing safety devices like mouthguards if you lead an active lifestyle.
Six monthly dentist visits are not a pain in your wallet but help save considerable sums by preventing frequent dentist visits to treat unexpected infections or replace lost teeth because you need to care for them appropriately.
Platte Valley Dental Clinic suggests six monthly oral prophylaxis for everyone, including children and the elderly, to prevent the abovementioned conditions or minimize expenditure. If you are due for your visit and searching for excuses to skip it, we suggest you consult with this practice on why you shouldn’t indulge in such habits.