Regularly seeing your dentist can help to protect your oral and overall health. Dentists recommend cleanings and comprehensive exams at least every six months for patients aged one year and up.
Seeing your dentist on their recommended schedule can help you protect your teeth from damage, ensure that they function properly, and keep them looking beautiful.
1. Preserve Your Natural Teeth
Preventive care like cleanings and comprehensive exams is a must for helping your teeth last a lifetime. If you do not keep regular dental appointments, you will have a greater risk of premature tooth loss. Many dental patients may believe that only older adults lose their teeth, but young patients can also experience tooth loss due to neglect.
Common conditions like dental decay and periodontal disease may cause teeth to fall out or need extraction. These problems are preventable when addressed early on. Tooth replacements are expensive but necessary, as living with missing teeth could damage your remaining teeth and jawbone.
2. Detect Ongoing and Emerging Issues
Dental issues are most treatable at the early stages. If you continue to see your family dentist every six months as recommended, they will be able to spot emerging problems and treat them before they become severe.
Tooth decay and gum disease are two excellent examples of why staying current with your dental exams is a must. If you have early tooth decay, as discovered by an X-ray, your dentist can repair it with a simple filling, but deep decay could require a root canal or extraction.
Gum disease starts as a condition called gingivitis, characterized by tender, bleeding gums when you floss or brush your teeth. This disease stage is reversible, given prompt attention from your dentist and improved home care. Once gum disease has progressed to periodontitis, your dentist can only control it, not reverse it. Without treatment, the gum and bone structure supporting your teeth may degrade.
3. Save Money and Time
If you invest in regular dental care, you will save time and money. A dental cleaning and comprehensive exam costs very little compared to the price of a root canal, crown, or extraction.
Regular attention can catch problems before they become expensive. You will also save the time you may otherwise spend on multiple appointments in the dentist's chair.
Call Total Dental Care
Teeth should last a lifetime. Neglecting routine dental care can lead to severe problems, including decay, periodontal disease, and tooth loss. Taking small steps now can prevent you from experiencing these issues.
Even if you have not always kept up with a healthy dental care routine, we can help you get back on track and move forward with a healthy smile. Call our Germantown, MD, office at 240-813-9111 to make an appointment for your routine dental care.