It’s amazing that any of us remember even half of the things that we’re supposed to remember. Adulting is hard! Birthdays, anniversaries and oil changes. Swap out the furnace filter. File your taxes… so many things. It would be easy — among all of those recurring tasks — to forget or defer your dental checkups every six months.
A dental checkup in Yellowknife is easy to forget and easy to put off, but it’s important. There are at least half a dozen reasons that going to a checkup at your dentist in Yellowknife every six months is essential. What are they?
Attending a regular dental checkup near you means you’ll be able to stay on top of issues that extend far beyond cavities. Twice annual checkups are also an opportunity for your dentist in Yellowknife to screen you for oral cancer. Early detection of oral cancer can markedly increase a patient’s survival rate. In just moments and in a completely non-invasive manner, your dentist will examine and scope all of the soft tissues inside your mouth for any signs of potential abnormal cells that may indicate a risk of oral cancer.
Screening checks to support your general health extend even beyond screening and scoping for oral cancer. Your dentist in Yellowknife will also examine your lymph nodes near your jawline for any swelling or apparent abnormalities. While doing so, your dentist will check your neck and the exterior of your jaw for any swelling or lumps. If your dentist does identify any abnormalities, your dentist will recommend obtaining advice from a physician to rule out or trigger a response to any health condition.
As good as you are at brushing and flossing your teeth, plaque and tartar can accumulate and develop on your teeth and around your gums. At dental checkups, your dentist and hygienists will remove any plaque and tartar to prevent the development of tooth decay and cavities. Let’s put it this way — routine checkups are easier, more comfortable, and cheaper than getting fillings. Focusing on one may eliminate the need for the latter.
Accumulating tartar not only affects your teeth, but can also cause gum disease. In its minor form as gingivitis, gum disease can be reversed by dental treatment. If it’s not reversed, though, gingivitis can progress to mild and severe periodontitis that can cause gum and tooth loss. Treatment for periodontitis is much more invasive and difficult than treatment for gingivitis or the effort required to visit your dentist every six months. Regular checkups permit early intervention to address gum disease while treatment is easiest and most likely to be effective.
There are a lot of personal habits that may, perhaps unbeknownst to you, be causing damage to your teeth, gums, or dental work. Do you chew ice, chew your nails, clench your jaw, grind your teeth, brush your teeth over-enthusiastically, drink coffee or tea or red wine, or smoke cigarettes? All those habits can have negative effects on your teeth and gums that you might not even notice until they’re well advanced. Unless, that is, you attend a dental clinic in Yellowknife regularly.
As closely and carefully as you may examine your teeth and gums, you can not see every potential issue that may be lurking beneath your gums or within the interior of your teeth and jaws. Your dentist will regularly take dental images to identify emerging and potential problems while early solutions can be discussed.
Regular dental checkups can prevent the emergence of dental issues or enable quick, easy, and inexpensive solutions before things get much more complicated. Is that worth the effort of visiting your dentist every six months? Of course it is. Get in touch with a dentist near you to schedule regular checkups, then show up when they’re scheduled. With that, you’re well on the way to healthier teeth.