Top 10 Reasons To Maintain Regular Dental Visits

Everyone knows regular dental appointments are essential to dental health. 

Below are the top 10 things your dentist would want you to know about dental exams and routine dental appointments!

1. Change your toothbrush regularly. This can be as often as every three months. A toothbrush used regularly will get worn out after three months of daily use. Your toothbrush can hold the bacteria that cause periodontal disease. You should remember to rinse your toothbrush after use with warm water and dry it. Also, replace the toothbrush after an illness.
2. Root canal treatments are not painful. Many people believe that root canal treatments are very painful, but this is not always the case. Thanks to the modern advances in technique and technology, root canals are as painless as restoring tooth decay. When you undergo root canal treatment, your dentist will anesthetize the area entirely with a local anesthetic. A dental infection can make anesthetic more complex, and that is when increased pain occurs.
3. Maintaining dental health between dental appointments does not have to be complicated. Many patients believe that maintaining good dental health is challenging and requires way too much effort. However, if you brush twice a day, floss your teeth once a day, and eat a healthy diet, you will likely have better dental health. 
4. Dental problems will not go away without treatment. Once your dentist has diagnosed tooth decay or periodontal disease, you will want to get it addressed as soon as possible, as tooth decay will not heal on its own without dental treatment. If your smile has been diagnosed with tooth decay, you will want to seek treatment as soon as possible.
5. Maintain good nutrition between appointments. If your regular diet contains a lot of sweet snacks, candy, or sugary drinks, your smile will be more likely to develop tooth decay between dental appointments. It is wise to avoid sugary drinks and sodas when possible and to always brush your teeth right after eating sugary snacks and sweet foods.
6. If you have chronic bad breath, seek dental care. If you have chronic breath, there’s an 85% chance that it’s because of a dental health issue. If a dental condition causes your bad breath, you may be tempted to believe mouthwash is the answer. While mouthwash may help mask the odor, you will need to find the underlying dental issue and have it addressed by your dentist as soon as possible.
7. Regular dental checkups and professional cleanings are essential for dental health. Routine dental examinations will find issues before they develop into a more significant problem. These regularly scheduled checkups can help prevent tooth decay, periodontal disease, root canal treatment, oral cancer, and other dental health issues. Preventive care is essential to maintain oral health. They will also save you money throughout your lifetime.
8. Periodontal disease can affect your overall health. As the leading cause of tooth loss in adults, periodontal disease has also been linked to systemic issues like heart disease and strokes. If periodontal disease is diagnosed and treated in its earliest stage, it can be successfully treated and reversed. If you do not get gum disease treated, it could progress into the severe gum disease known as periodontitis. Symptoms will include bone loss and gingival recession. Routine dental checkups, professional cleanings can help prevent periodontal disease.
9. Dental exams include oral cancer screenings. Oral cancer is one of the most deadly forms of cancer in the United States. Oral cancer is the cause of death for one person every hour of every day! During your dental exam, your dentist will check for the signs of oral cancer using the Velscope oral cancer screening tool and can help diagnose it early. Oral cancer is highly treatable if diagnosed and treated in its early stages.
10. Brushing and flossing every day is the best thing you can do between dental exams. When you brush and floss, you eliminate plaque that contains the bacteria that cause tooth decay and periodontal disease. Plaque is that soft, sticky white substance on your teeth that accumulates from food remnants and bacteria buildup. Flossing will help remove the plaque between your teeth in the areas your toothbrush cannot properly reach.