You’ve heard it before—you should visit a dentist every six months. Whatever your reason for skipping this appointment, you decide to wait to see the dentist until you notice a problem. However, this is a huge mistake!
These appointments are critical for early detection of oral health problems. Every time you visit the dentist, you’re doing more than just getting your teeth polished; you are also being examined for serious conditions. In this post, you’ll learn what some of those conditions are and why you need to get preventive care.
Common Dental Problems
There are many, many issues your mouth can experience, but the one thing they have in common is that they do not heal on their own. In other words, they only get worse over time and can cause severe damage, making early detection essential. Here are just some of the things that can go wrong in your oral cavity.
Cavities
Although tooth enamel is extremely durable, it can be eroded. Harmful bacteria produce acids that degrade the enamel and cause decay. Without intervention, the decay spreads, often reaching the pulp or nerve center of the tooth. Once this happens, you can experience extreme pain and even lose the tooth entirely.
Gum Disease
At first glance, red, puffy gums might not seem like a big deal. However, eventually the infection can get worse and spread to your jawbone. If it’s not treated, more severe stages of gum disease can cause tooth loss and have been linked to heart disease, Alzheimer’s, and kidney disease.
Oral Cancer
In most cases, the sooner cancer is detected, the higher the chances of survival. This is definitely the case with oral cancer. In fact, when diagnose and treated early, those with oral cancer can have up to a 90 percent survival rate. However, most patients are unfortunately diagnosed in later stages, which is why the mortality rate of oral cancer is just under 70 percent.
Importance of Regular Checkups
Your routine dental visit is an opportunity for your dentist to check for these oral problems. They can spot the early signs of trouble and bring it to your attention before it has the chance to damage your smile or your overall health. Although your dentist can treat these problems after the fact, it doesn’t take much time and effort to catch these problems early, and it could save your smile and your life!
In the end, you can still choose to not go to the dentist for checkups and cleanings, but when you understand the importance of this preventive care, the choice seems simple and clear. You can spare yourself a lot of pain, time, stress, and money through early detection and treatment. Now that’s a smart decision!
About the Practice
In Lincoln, there’s always a Williamsburg Dental nearby. With six locations and eight dentists on staff, we are able to provide nearly every service ranging from routine preventive care to more advanced procedures like implant placement. We are in-network with most PPO dental insurance plans and even offer a wellness plan to make oral healthcare affordable for everyone. If you would like to schedule an appointment with Williamsburg Dental, reach out to our team online or call (402) 281-9367.