It is important to have our teeth checked by a qualified dentist on an annual basis. This enables both you and your dentist to identify problems with your teeth and gums and treat them before they progress to advanced level. When dental problems are left untreated, over time they become too diseased requiring advanced and expensive treatment to restore them or may even become hopeless teeth that cannot be saved and only extraction is viable.
During the checkup the dentist will examine your teeth, gums and mouth to look for any signs of problems such as cavities, gum disease, damaged teeth or more serious problems. The dentist will use a special probe to check the spaces between the teeth and gums to look for cavities and a mouth mirror to get a look at the bacck of your teeth and the sides. X-rays may be taken to give a deeper look into your teeth to catch problems that might not appear on the surface such as bone decay, swelling, tumors or impacted teeth.
Cavities are formed when plaque builds up and solidifies into tartar that erodes teeth creating holes in them. Cavities are discovered when a tooth starts to ache which indicates the tooth is already decayed. To prevent this, a regular visit to a dentist is important as they are able to identify the warnings and treat them before tooth decay sets in which might require a filling or in a worst case removal of the affected tooth.
Plaque and tartar buildup cause other problems in the mouth such as causing infections of the mouths' gum tissue. This happens when the buildup causes gingivitis occurs when the gum tissue starts to pull away from the tooth and as it progresses it causes swelling, bleeding and/or soreness in the mouth. Along with the breakdown of gum tissue, gum disease also causes a breakdown of the bone that holds the teeth in place and at this point the teeth become loose and start to fall out requiring extensive treatment by dental surgeons.
Some tooth ailments happen beneath the surface of your mouth and the only way to see is through an X-Ray of your teeth and jaw. This is a non invasive way to detect hard to see problems such as impacted teeth which are growing teeth that are blocked from pushing through the gum line and are often seen as wisdom teeth.
Damage to the jawbone can alse be seen as well as any bone decay, swelling or tumors all of which are impssible to see without x-ray imaging. This is important to detect hidden diseases that show no symptoms on the surface.
Some bad habits like biting your nails, clenching your jaw, grinding your teeth, eating hard foods, drinking coffee and red wine and smoking can negaative impact on your oral health when they go unchecked over a long period of time. A visit to the dentist can ensure that the warning signs are detected early and adequate measures taken.
Oral Cancer is an extremely serious disease that occurs in many ways. A dentist is trained to see the signs early and correctly diagnose and recommend treatment. Regular visits to the dentist atlease every 6 months dramatically improve the chances of catching oral cancer in its early stages before it becomes life threatening.