Having healthy teeth is critical to your well-being because they allow you to chew food to make it easy to extract nutrients. Moreover, they play an essential role in giving you your appearance. If you aren’t comfortable with how your teeth look, you are likely to try and hide them when you are around other people. This is why it’s vital that you adhere to good oral health practices. This encompasses brushing your teeth at least twice every day and regularly scheduling a dentist visit to have your teeth professionally checked for cavities and other issues. The American Dental Association (ADA) recommends that you visit a dentist at least twice a year. You are probably wondering – why do I need to see a dentist twice a year? Here’s why…
1. Prevent Tooth Decay and Cavities
Tooth decay and cavities are prevalent dental problems. This is because it is easy for teeth to start developing decay and cavities, despite you doing your best to clean your teeth regularly. Dental decay and cavities usually begin with the enamel wearing off due to bacteria on your teeth releasing corrosive acids on the enamel after feeding on the remnant of foods and sugars on your teeth.
Brushing your teeth twice a day significantly reduces the corrosion to the enamel, which means it’s likely to take longer before tooth decay or cavities begin. You should know that the enamel doesn’t grow back. Scheduling a dental visit twice a year means that a dentist can catch corrosion on your enamel early enough before it develops to tooth decay or cavities and repair it. This will prevent your teeth from developing dental decay and cavities.
2. Prevent Gum (periodontal) Disease
According to statistics, roughly 75% of Americans above 35 years have some kind of gum disease. This is because most people are uninformed about gum disease, as the issue was largely undiscussed for a long time. Moreover, in the early stages, the periodontal disease typically causes no pain and goes unnoticed by most people until it gets to an advanced stage.
So what causes periodontal disease? Gum disease is usually caused by lackluster brushing and flossing habits, allowing plaque (a sticky film of bacteria) to build up on the teeth and harden. This ailment can cause tender and bleeding gums, painful chewing issues, and even tooth loss in the advanced stages. If left untreated, this ailment can have devastating effects like contributing to the onset of other more severe conditions like heart disease, stroke, respiratory illness, and pregnancy complications. Regular dental visits are key to helping prevent gum disease and treating any early signs of periodontal damage.
3. Get Rid of Stuck-on Tartar
Even with excellent cleaning practices, it can be very challenging to remove every last bit of plaque from your teeth when you brush. When plaque sits on your teeth for a long time, it usually turns into tartar – a blackish, calcified substance that attaches to the teeth and brings about the onset of gum disease. Once tartar sticks on your teeth, you can’t get rid of it by brushing with your toothbrush. It can only be removed using special scraping tools found in a dentist’s office. By planning for a dentist visit at least twice a year, you can have the tartar on your teeth removed before it can cause more significant harm to your oral health and overall body health.
4. Undergo Professional Teeth Cleaning
Your dentist will perform professional teeth cleaning as part of your bi-annual dental visits. This will not only remove the tartar and plaque from your teeth but also surface stains resulting from coffee and other beverages. After your dental visit, your teeth will feel squeaky clean. Additionally, you will be able to maintain your sparkling white smile for longer since the surface discolorations will have been removed.
5. Early Oral Cancer Detection
The number of people who have oral cancer has been rising over the last couple of decades. However, thanks to modern medicine, a trained dentist can easily detect this potentially life-threatening ailment in the early stages. The dentist can perform a non-invasive Velscope cancer exam which utilizes special lights to detect tissue damage in the mouth that tumors might have caused. The early detection of oral cancer and immediate treatment significantly increases the chances of successful treatment. Thus, visiting your dentist regularly will allow early oral cancer detection if this ailment affects you.
6. Saves Money
Scheduling regular dental visits means that potentially serious problems will be detected and treated early. This early treatment usually costs a fraction of what it would have otherwise cost treating the condition when it’s at an advanced stage. Therefore, you will save a lot of money.
Are you in need of exceptional dental services? We are a full-service dental practice in Las Cruces, NM with highly-trained and experienced dentists, and we use the latest technology for our dental examinations and treatments. Contact us to schedule your first visit!
