Should I Risk Seeing A Dentist?

Unless you’re in pain, you might wonder why you would even risk seeing a dentist right now with all the advances in home dental care products. Is it really that important to get a checkup? A cleaning? If you don’t have a toothache, it may be tempting to just take care of your teeth at home for now. After all, there are many excellent electric toothbrushes, and even those that clean your teeth with ultrasonics, available today to the general public.

The same is true for toothpaste. There is a specialty toothpaste for every possible need you might have. For example, there are toothpastes made especially for sensitive teeth, teeth that need more whitening, teeth with gum disease, and teeth that are more prone to getting cavities. You can even find toothpastes that contain charcoal in them to help clean your teeth.

You probably know that flossing is important, and there are all kinds of floss. There’s waxed, unwaxed, and all kinds of flavored floss. There are also many devices available to help make flossing easier.

To complete your home oral hygiene program, there is a host of mouth rinses to choose from for your daily use. Most of these kill bacteria that cause dental cavities and gum disease. Some are extremely helpful in helping to reduce tooth sensitivity. Many of these contain alcohol, but the non-alcohol rinses are becoming more popular and are recommended more often by dentists.

With so many products available, do you really need to see a dentist during these pandemic times? The answer is yes, and here is why:

You Need Periodic Professional Cleaning of Your Teeth

You can indeed remove some dental plaque buildup from your own teeth with brushing and flossing. But doing this perfectly is next to impossible. There are certain areas of your mouth that you routinely miss with your brush and/or floss. Plaque tends to accumulate in these areas, and over time this soft plaque will harden.

As the plaque hardens, it also attaches tenaciously to the hard tooth surface. Dental calculus is the name given to this hardened material attached to your tooth, and you can no longer remove it with a toothbrush or dental floss. Only a dentist or dental hygienist can remove this dental calculus with specialized instruments.

What Happens if I Don’t See A Dentist?

If you don’t see a dentist, you are at risk for one of the following occurring:

• Dental cavities. You can not look in your bathroom mirror and know whether you have a cavity in your tooth. Cavities are small when they begin and require the trained eye of a dentist to detect. Also, some cavities aren’t visible at all because they form on the side of a tooth. This requires a dental X-ray for detection.

• Gum disease. If your gums bleed when you brush or floss your teeth, you may have the beginning of gum disease. Early detection and treatment eliminate this with minimal consequences. Without immediate treatment, gum disease, also known as gingivitis, develops into periodontal disease.

Periodontal disease begins destroying the bone supporting your teeth. This leads to either periodontal surgery or extraction in some advanced cases.

• Oral diseases. There are many oral diseases ranging from minor to life-threatening. Early detection of some oral conditions is essential to a successful outcome.

Many dental problems remain minor if you see your dentist regularly for professional cleaning and a comprehensive oral exam. Brushing, flossing, and regular dental visits can help you maintain optimum oral health. At the end always remember health is very precious gift from the nature so take care of it.