Having your teeth cleaned may seem unnecessary, even to the point that you feel you can skip cleanings until you have a tooth ache or damaged tooth. But keeping your annual cleaning appointment is one of the best ways to prevent unnecessary damage to your teeth, and it can even save you from tooth aches and tooth loss as you age.
Your annual dental hygiene appointmentsare probably very similar to one another, unless you have lost a tooth or suffered damage to your teeth. You settle in the dentist’s chair, an assistant or hygienist performs the regular cleaning routine, and then your dentist comes in and takes a look in your mouth. Maybe he suggests that you make an appointment to have a cavity filled, but the conversation may be brief and soon you are on your way again.
What Your Dentist is Checking For
But when your dentist takes those valuable minutes to look into your mouth and examine your teeth and gums, there is more going on than a cursory glance to make you feel that the cost of the visit was justified. While your dentist is looking into and feeling around in your mouth, you are actually undergoing an exam of your teeth and gums, and your dentist is looking for:
Early signs of gum disease
Excessive wearing to your teeth that may indicate a neuromuscular problem
Damage to fillings or dental crowns that need to be replaced
Dental decay including cavities or weak enamel
Each of these can be treated as soon as the earliest signs appear in order to prevent costly, painful complications in the future.
Preventing Tooth Pain and Decay
Without your dental hygiene appointments, though, your dentist only has the opportunity to check for these problems when you come into the office with a tooth ache or damaged tooth. By the time your teeth or gums begin to hurt or a tooth has been damaged or lost, the cost and type of treatment necessary will be greatly escalated above that necessary if your condition had been treated early on.
If your dentist is not performing a thorough check of your teeth and gums every time you come to the office for a dental hygiene appointment, you should begin searching for a new dentist immediately. Only thorough examinations and preventative dentistry can protect you against unnecessary tooth wear, tooth decay, and tooth loss as you continue aging.
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