Top 3 Reasons Why It’s Important to Visit Your Dentist At Least Every 6 Months

You have always heard that you should visit the dentist bi-annually, but have you ever wondered why the American Dental Association makes this recommendation? Some reasons are obvious, such as keeping your teeth clean and avoiding gum disease and tooth decay. However, you may not be aware of the strong relationship between the health of your teeth and gums and the health of the rest of your body.

How Oral Health Impacts the Body

Lack of attention to oral hygiene can cause a host of significant health issues, including the following:

• Inflammation of gum tissue can eventually develop into inflammation throughout the body, especially in the joints. If you already have rheumatoid arthritis, visiting the dentist twice a year can help to keep the pain and swelling associated with this chronic condition in check.
• Gum infections can make existing diabetes worse, and the two conditions tend to feed off each other. Reducing the intake of sugary foods helps both gum problems and diabetes by balancing blood sugar and stopping unwanted bacterial growth within the mouth.
• Chronic gum infections can block blood vessels, leading to a potentially life-threatening heart attack or stroke. Eliminating alcohol entirely, drinking a lot of water, and consistently brushing and flossing twice a day reduces the risk.

These are just three potential health issues associated with poor oral hygiene. The best thing you can do for your body is to commit to a healthy diet, brushing, flossing, and visiting the dentist for preventive care. Keep in mind that dentists have also received extensive training on how to spot signs of oral cancer.

Professional Teeth Cleaning Complements Your Efforts at Home

Even when you commit to a daily oral hygiene routine, you cannot get your teeth as clean as the dentist does. At Westlake Dental Associates, our dentist and hygienists remove plaque and tartar from your teeth with special dental instruments and then polish them. You can think of it as a deep cleaning of your teeth. When your teeth remain consistently clean, you are much less likely to struggle with oral health issues. You also feel like smiling more when you are proud of how your teeth look.

Early Intervention is Only Possible with Regular Preventive Care

Some people avoid going to the dentist unless they have a problem with a tooth, but this approach is backwards, since many problems are preventable with routine care. Gum disease is just one example. Although the problem is common, it is also treatable and sometimes reversible when diagnosed as quickly as possible.

Tooth decay is another typical scenario. The longer you go with untreated tooth decay, the more likely it is that extraction will become the only option. Other treatment options, such as applying filling material to preserve the tooth, can only work if the tooth decay has not yet become extensive.

Has it been more than six months since your last dental check-up with Westlake Dental Associates? If so, we encourage you to contact us today to request an appointment!

You can book your appointment by emailing us at westlakedentalassociates@gmail.com

Call us at (440) 835-8999, or visit our website: westlakedentalassociates.com