WHY VISIT A DENTIST REGULARLY

Though most of us know or are repeatedly reminded of visiting a dentist regularly, it is one of the most neglected aspects. Most of us don’t feel it important to get a dental health check up done unless and until the tooth starts troubling.

Now why is it so important to visit a dentist and what to expect during the visit?

The primary reason to visit a dentist is to keep a check on overall health of your teeth and the oral cavity as a whole. Dental visits on a regular basis not only help to detect any dental problems but also help to keep a check on your general health. A dental visit is recommended about every six months.

During a dental check up your dentist will examine all your teeth and gums to check if there is any sign of decay, infection or any unusual swelling or surface changes. This can also help to detect any serious health issues like oral cancer.

Your dentist might take a dental x-ray to view the depth of the decay, if at all exists and to check if there is any underlying infection and bone loss. This can help diagnose the problem better and deliver an appropriate treatment. 

Along with home maintenance such as tooth brushing and flossing, professional cleaning is also very crucial as it helps you get rid of plaque and calculus build up and improves your gum health.

Poor oral hygiene leads to several issues such as a tooth decay, gum infection, bone loss. Untreated gum infections have a greater chance of spreading to the other parts of your body through the blood stream. Evidence suggests that untreated gum infection contribute to the cause of many systemic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and problems with pregnancy.

It is always advisable to have a follow up discussion with your dentist. This will help you understand the problem, if there is any and the kind of treatment you will be undergoing and how much will it cost you.

Visiting a dentist on a regular basis can prevent you from all these problems as prevention is always better than cure. This can avoid you from undergoing the painful episodes caused by your dental infection and also will spare you the time and expensive dental treatments.  

Get regular dental checkups to keep you healthy and happy and get timely treatment.  Remember a healthy mouth leads to a healthy body.

ORAL HYGIENE

As an old saying goes “Prevention is better than cure”, it is always wise to maintain your oral hygiene to prevent any kind of damage to the teeth. 

Now the question is how to maintain a proper oral hygiene to protect the teeth from damage? Well let us see how it is.
How would a well maintained teeth look like?

• Your teeth will be free of plaque and debris
• Your gums do not bleed when you brush, indicates they are infection free.
• You are free from bad breath.              

These are the major signs indicating you are maintaining a proper oral hygiene. But how to achieve is the major concern. Here are few instructions:

• Brush your teeth twice a day with fluoridated toothpaste and make a habit of washing your mouth thoroughly after consuming any kind of food.

• Brush your teeth in up-down and circular motion, never brush sideways as this will eventually abrade your teeth, leading to hyper sensitivity.

• Floss your teeth at least once in a day.

• Watch what you eat, avoid excess consumption of sticky and sugary foods. Especially children should avoid taking such foods to prevent tooth decays.

• Eat foods rich in calcium and minerals to build healthier and stronger teeth.

• Visit your dentist every six months to get a thorough dental check up as it is always wise to detect dental problems at the earliest stage and get appropriate treatment done.

• Children should be taken to a dentist as a rule of thumb “first visit at the first birthday".

• Parents should start brushing their child's teeth when their first tooth appears. Use a soft brush and a non-fluoridated tooth paste. Children of age five and above can use fluoridated tooth paste as permanent teeth starts erupting at this age.

Now that we have the basic knowledge of maintaining oral hygiene, let us look at the consequences of bad oral hygiene.

• Accumulation of plaque leads to bacterial growth resulting in dental caries.

• Poor oral hygiene leads to gum infection resulting in red, swollen and bleeding gums and bone loss.
• Bleeding gums give bacteria direct access into the blood stream. Certain bacteria stick to the blood cells (platelets) leading to blood clots which increases the risk of heart stroke or attack.

• As oral cavity is a gate way to the rest of the body, the bacteria in plaque can travel from mouth to lungs causing lung infections or aggravating already existing infection. 

             
Maintain a good oral hygiene to lead an overall healthy life