Kids and Teeth from Babyhood to University

A routine dental examination is critical in ensuring healthy gums and teeth. Unfortunately, many people fail to visit a dentist at least once every year. Regular check-ups can catch oral problems early, and treatment can be administered when it is most effective and cheaper. After all, a dental filling is much more affordable and less invasive than a root canal. Furthermore, some dental issues can be painless. However, they can become progressively worse under the radar to the point where they eventually cause you pain, thus requiring intensive treatments to reverse the damage. Here are a few more significant benefits of visiting a general dentistry practice for a regular dental examination.

Dental cleaning and polishing

Dental hygiene is one of the essential factors for preserving the health of your teeth and gums. During your dental examination, your dentist may recommend thoroughly cleaning your teeth to remove tartar and plaque deposits.

These calcified deposits form on your teeth over time when naturally occurring bacteria mixes with food particles creating a sticky film called plaque. If not treated regularly, it hardens into tartar.

Plaque could be the culprit if you still have bad breath after brushing your teeth regularly. Having these deposits scraped out from above and below the gum line is vital. Your dentist may even polish your teeth to remove any remaining plaque or tartar that may have been missed. The polishing procedure makes it harder for plaque to latch onto the surface of your teeth until your next dental visit.

Updating your health records

Medical records are vital documents that a dentist relies on to monitor your health. The records contain a whole host of information, especially about allergic reactions to particular medications your dentist may prescribe. In addition, the records may collect information about your family's health history, which may give your dentist an idea of what to look out for during a dental examination.

If your family has a history of oral cancer, the dentist may want to look out for any possible signs. As you may know, when cancers are caught early, the chances of responding positively to treatment grow exponentially.

Checking for gum disease

Unlike most dental problems, gum disease is often painless in its early stages. Because of that, it often goes undetected if you fail to visit a dentist regularly. Your dentist will look for bleeding, inflamed and receding gums during a dental examination. This early stage is called gingivitis. Left untreated, it can progress into periodontitis and lead to tooth loss. You don't want to lose your natural teeth at a young age. A routine dental examination is vital to catch and treat gum disease early and maintain healthy teeth and gums.