What is the Importance of Annual Dental Check-ups?
Your dental
health should not matter only when you have an oral problem that needs to be
treated. Dental experts like Dr. Cecilia Sorelle emphasizes on the importance
of taking care of your health, intentionally, even without there being a
problem. You would be surprised at how much intentional dental care can do for
your health. At Dental Arts Clearwater we try to teach all our patients on the
necessity o practices like frequent dental visits. Treating an oral problem is
not the only time you should be visiting your dentist. If you are proactive
with your health, then, you may never have a dental problem that needs
treatment.
What Do Dental Check-ups Entail?
It should never
feel like a punishment or burden to visit a Clearwater dentist every once in a
while. Instead, it should make you feel eager about leading a healthy
lifestyle. Dental check-ups consist of information exchange between you and
your dentist. It is an opportunity for a dental expert to check the state of
your health. Some of the things involved in a check-up include:
- Dental examinations – the exams
are both physical and verbal. The first exam will entail conducting a
short interview with your dentist. This is where you provide as much
information as possible about your oral health. Having a medical-dental
report of your oral history is a good place to base this kind of exam.
Other than that, a physical exam is necessary. The dentist has to touch
and feel different parts of your oral cavity. This helps create a better
and clearer picture of your current oral state. The dental examination
takes the longest time during dental check-ups. The dentist has to analyze
thoroughly, the following parts of your mouth:
- The gum tissue – any soreness,
redness, or swelling can be a sign of infection. He/she will also check for any
gum recession.
- Teeth – the color, shape, and
health of the teeth has to be examined. And signs of discoloration, cracks,
decay, to mention a few, is a cause for alarm.
- Bone tissue – this is where
x-rays are necessary. Determining the health of your bone tissue is fundamental
when considering oral health. The reason is that the bone tissue plays a
significant role in holding the teeth in place. If your bone tissue is wearing
off, then it compromises the stability and health of your teeth.
- Tongue – the way your tongue
looks can communicate a lot about your oral health, as well as your overall
health.
- Throat and tonsils – the throat
is an important part of the oral cavity. Any problems with your throat can
interfere with your digestive system. It can become difficult to eat, drink,
and even speak. Besides, the tonsils of the body are a big part of your body’s
immune system. Should anything go wrong, your tonsils are the first line of
defense.
- Professional teeth cleaning – deep
cleaning of your teeth is not possible with a regular toothbrush and
dental floss. It requires the intervention of a dental hygienist or
dentist. This step is necessary for your oral health as it helps get rid
of any plaque and tartar trapped between your teeth. Plaque features a
sticky yellowish substance that forms on the surfaces of teeth, as well as
in between them. It features a combination of saliva, bacteria, acids, and
food residues. With proper oral hygiene, it is hard for plaque to set on
your teeth. However, over time, small amounts of plaque can get trapped
between your teeth. The teeth cleaning is, therefore, a great way to help
decrease the dental problems/issues, or the risks of infection.
Benefits of Annual Dental Check-ups
It may look like
you are over-investing in your teeth when you should be focusing on other
aspects of your life. However, once you understand the value of annual dental
visits, then you will consider it to gain more than a loss. Some of the
benefits you can derive from annual dental check-ups include the following:
- Decreasing and preventing dental
problems or issues from occurring – you never know what you are at risk of
getting when it comes to oral health. Since the mouth interacts with
different foods all the time, it helps to keep it healthy. The annual
check-up can help you decrease the risks of infection, and prevent some
dental problems from occurring, including dental decay and gum disease.
These services fall under preventive dentistry.
- To build on the strength of your
teeth – as you age, you must ensure that your teeth are still strong.
- Nutritional counseling – do you
know which specific nutrients your body needs to be at its best? It is one
thing to stick to a healthy meal, and a whole different story to improve
the nutrient-intake in your body. What your body needs at a given point
can change. It is why you need a dental expert.
- To treat any underlying oral
problems before they escalate.
Comments
Post a Comment