There are many reasons why you should visit your dentist regularly. The main reason is of course to keep your teeth healthy and white. The second important reason is for your overall health. Bad teeth are not only detrimental to the health of your teeth and mouth; it can also lead to many other illnesses such as heart failure.

To prevent damage to your teeth and health, it is necessary to visit your dentist regularly. The reason for visiting your dentist and the frequency of visitations are determined by either prevention, or treatment of damage.

Prevention

It is necessary to visit your dentist every six months. Decay can form in your mouth without displaying symptoms. If you delay visits for longer than six months, the decay can worsen making the treatment longer and more difficult. With regular visits, your dentist can note early deterioration and start treatment sooner.

Another reason for regular visits is to maintain the healthy state of your teeth and gums. Visit either your dentist or oral hygienist for preventative care. This procedure may involve intense cleaning of your teeth and gums, or specialised treatments such as calcium treatments and teeth whitening. You can also have your teethpolished.

People who already have fillings or artificial teeth should visit their dentist more often to maintain the fillings and prevent damage. Decay can also set in faster when you have fillings, especially if the fillings were not inserted properly initially.

People who smoke or have diabetes have to visit the dentist more frequently. The preferred frequency is every 4 months. Smokers and diabetics have a higher risk of developing gum disease.

Wearing dentures does not exempt you from visiting your dentist. Dentures need to be checked regularly to detect damage and determine if it still fits correctly. The rule of every six months applies to dentures too or sooner if you suspect problems.

Treatment of damage

You should visit your dentist at the first sign of any problem. Any abnormalities indicate a problem that needs attention. The most common complaints are toothache, broken teeth and bleeding gums.

Toothache may indicate a cavity, or even a more serious problem such as an abscess. It is necessary to have it repaired and treated before it can cause more damage. A small cavity can exasperate very quickly and create more harm such as infections.

Bleeding gums are also a sign of gum infection and need to be treated as soon as possible. Untreated, gum infection can lead to tooth loss, poisoning of your body and organs, cardiac arrest and even death.

A broken tooth needs to be rebuilt as soon as possible. This is to prevent further damage to the tooth. Beside, nothing ruins a smile as much as a broken tooth.

It is very important to visit your dentist frequently after you had dental surgery. Progress of the healing needs to be monitored to detect abnormalities such as possible infection or rejection of fittings.

Build a trust relationship with your dentist to ensure a confident smile.

31 Aug 2012