Dental Checkup RuckersvilleThere are as many excuses to miss a dental checkup as there are people with teeth! In many cases, we will tell ourselves that we only need a dental checkup when there is a problem or pain, and many people will specifically ignore a dental health problem because of anxiety about dental procedures or the cost of dental care. The reality is that routine dental care can prevent problems before they occur to help avoid huge bills and painful procedures in the first place.

Dental checkups should be done every six months. Regular checkups not only help you avoid invasive and expensive treatment – there are several reasons your dental checkup should be part of your health care plan:

Prevent plaque, cavities, tartar, and tooth decay. No matter how carefully we clean our teeth every day, there are some hard to reach areas that nearly all of us miss. Your hygienist will perform a thorough professional cleaning to remove plaque and tartar and prevent harmful bacteria from growing in your mouth. Your dentist will also examine your teeth for signs of tooth decay and very small cavities. If caught early, fluoride treatment can help to reverse the decay and keep small cavities from turning into larger problems that require fillings.

Keep an eye out for gum disease. It can be very difficult to tell if you have gum disease unless you have a trained eye. In the early stages, gum disease shows little to no visible symptoms. Your dentist is trained to detect gum disease before it can be spotted by most people and train you to care for your gums to prevent the disease from becoming serious. The dentist can also help to determine any potential underlying causes for gum disease and address them.

Dental Checkup Tools

Spot oral cancers, thyroid issues, and lymph node problems. Your dentist will not only examine your teeth but will also look for signs of lymph node swelling, thyroid irregularity, and oral cancers. The dentist has special tools that can painlessly detect cancers and tumors before they are readily visible to you. Spotting cancers and other issues can save your life – late-stage oral cancer and diseases of the lymph nodes or thyroid can be life-threatening.

Regular dental checkups will help your teeth stay healthy and strong, and can help you to avoid major health problems that can destroy your quality of life. For many patients, insurance will cover these necessary and routine visits to the dentist. Keeping up with your checkups can prevent the need to pay for an expensive procedure that may be the result of an unchecked mouth.

Call us today to find out how to start getting your checkups. We have flexible hours and we work with insurance companies to provide care affordably for most patients. Don’t wait until you have a painful, expensive, or even life-threatening problem in your mouth! Schedule your dental checkup today.

 
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