12 Surprising Reasons You Should See your Dentist More in 2020
By Jep • Tips Tricks • Jan 1, 2020
12 Surprising Reasons You Should See Your Dentist More.
It’s no surprise that millions of Americans neglect to go to the dentist regularly. However, what is surprising is what is happening to your teeth if you don’t.
Take a look at the top 12 reasons why you should be going to see your dentist more frequently in 2020.
Contents
More Sugar, More Problems
Did you know the average American eats approximately 17 teaspoons of sugar a day, which equates to 57 pounds of sugar in an entire year!
Sometimes it may be all too tempting to indulge in that cupcake or other sweet treats! In moderation, sugar can be a delightful pick me up for people of all ages. However, sugar can have lasting effects on your whole body, and more importantly your teeth.
When you eat a delicious sugary treat the molecules of sugar bind with your salvia and cause plaque to form on the enamel of your teeth!
Over time plaque will degrade the enamel on your teeth and cause some serious issues like:
Tooth Decay
Gum Damage
Cavities
Do not fear, here are a couple of ways that you can prevent sugar from causing damage to your teeth.
- • Make regular trips to your dentist
- • Monitor your sugar intake
- • Stay hydrated
- • Brush your teeth two times daily
- • Chew sugar-free gum
Make Teeth Cleaning A Habit!
It is recommended by the American Dental Association that you brush your teeth at least twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste for two minutes at a time. Many dentists will also recommend making flossing a habit after eating any meal.
Cleaning your teeth on a regular basis is shown to prevent plaque buildup and prevent cavities in both adults and children.
But it is still necessary to go to the dentist so that they can give your teeth a nice deep cleaning!
Failing to properly clean your teeth causes:
Bad Breath
Gum Disease
Cavities
Plaque Build-Up
Additionally, the newest studies are showing that brushing your teeth, while important for oral hygiene, is also linked to your heart health!
- • Inflammation
- • Makes your heart work harder
- • Stress to your body’s immune system
- • An increase of bacteria in the mouth
Make sure that you get in the habit of brushing your teeth and teaching your children the importance of properly brushing & save yourself unneeded stress and dental problems!
Avoid The Possibility Of Gum Disease
What is Gum Disease?
Gum disease is a serious infection of the tissues that hold your teeth in place, caused by a buildup of a film of bacteria often referred to as plaque.
Gum Disease can be managed by getting the infection under control, starting better oral care habits, and sticking to a strict dental care routine that includes brushing and flossing daily.
Are Gingivitis & Gum Disease the same?
Yes and no, Gingivitis is a mild form of Gum Disease that does not affect the connective tissues in your gums or your bone structure.
If caught early enough Gingivitis can be prevented with a radical change in your dental habits and special oral medications prescribed by dentists! However, Gingivitis is often a precursor to Gum Disease if not resolved early on.
Fear not! Here are some tips that you can use to help prevent the possibility of Gum Disease:
- • Quit smoking
- • Floss regularly
- • Drink lots of water
- • Brush your teeth regularly
- • Avoid drinks and food with a high sugar content
- • Visit your dentist for regular checkups and cleanings
Early Oral Cancer Detection
What Is Oral Cancer?
Oral cancer develops in the soft tissues of the mouth and throat and presents itself as persistent sores. Throat cancer most commonly appears along your cheeks, gums, tongue, and throat.
This cancer can be deadly if not diagnosed or treated early on.
- • Smoking
- • Alcohol abuse
- • HPV Exposure
- • Weakened immune system
- • Poor oral hygiene habits
How Can You Minimize Your Chances of Getting Oral Cancer?
Stay Away From
Tobacco
See Your Dentist
Regularly
Get Vaccinated
For HPV
Add More Fruits &
Veggies To Diet
Oral cancer, as scary as it sounds, is preventable. All that you need to do to avoid Oral Cancer is to be sure that you are checking in with your dentist and keeping good oral hygiene habits. It’s as simple as that!
Discover Problems You May Not Know Exist
You may have cavities, or other tooth related issues and not even know it!
If you take care of your teeth properly, they will last you for years to come
You may have cavities, or other tooth related issues and not even know it!
You can have various issues with your teeth or gums and not even know it! Oftentimes symptoms of plaque build-up, tooth decay, and periodontal disease can go undetected for years.
If you smoke, drink, use chewing tobacco or eat lots of sugar your teeth are at greater risk for all kinds of issues.
It is important to visit your dentist so that they can keep track of your oral hygiene and tooth structure. The records that they keep allow them to catch potentially expensive & painful problems before they begin.
More than anything your annual dentist visits are a preventive measure that you can take to ensure that your smile is the best it can be!
Set Your Child Up For Success
1 in every 5 children (20%) age 5 to 11 have at least one untreated decayed tooth (cavity) according to the CDC.
It is wildly important that children are taught proper oral care habits and the best way to learn is by doing!
Teaching your child the importance of brushing their teeth properly can be a daunting and frustrating task. However, it is a worthwhile lesson to instill on them and there are a couple of ways to make it fun!
Here are 5 ways that you can make brushing easy for your little one:
Brush Together
Morning & Night
Sing Songs Or Set
A Timer
Let Them Pick Their
Toothpaste & Brush
Encourage Them To
Practice With Toys
The most important thing to remember is that your child’s dental health is just as important as yours. You should also take your child to a dentist that specializes in working with children. A pediatric dentist is the best way to ensure that your child’s teeth are well cared for!
Maintain A Healthy
Schedule
In order to maintain your oral hygiene, you should be sticking to a routine for both your daily brushings and your dentist visits!
It is recommended that children visit their doctor when their first tooth breaks through. Your dentist will then advise how often your children should visit in the future (which is on average every 6 months).
You May Need To Visit The Dentist More Often If/When You:
All of the conditions that are listed above put you at a greater risk for developing infections, tooth decay, inflammation, gum disease, or oral cancer. On top of regular visits to your dentist, you should maintain a daily routine of brushing and flossing.
- • Become pregnant
- • Have Diabetes type 1 or 2
- • Smoke tobacco or vape
- • Have or develop HIV/AIDS
- • Are going through cancer treatment
- • Have or develop high blood pressure or heart disease
- • Brush your teeth twice daily
- • Floss between meals and brushing to dislodge food
- • Brush for 2 minutes at a time
- • Use toothpaste that contains fluoride
- • Replace your toothbrush every 3 months
Fight Yellow Teeth
Not brushing your teeth regularly can cause many issues such as, yellow teeth, cavities, gum disease, and more!
Its a well known fact that using tobacco will cause your teeth to yellow over time.
Drinks such as coffee, wine, and soda are known to stain your teeth. So avoid them as best as you can.
Dentists recommend having your teeth cleaned at least once a year, but preferably every 6 months
Late nights and early mornings, Americans on average drink 3.5 cups of coffee a day. Factor in all of the soda, teas, and other delicious drinks your teeth are going through a lot! Any drink that is colored especially coffee & tea have the ability to stain your teeth yellowing them over time.
Mere brushing is not enough to remove the stains. The tannins that are found in coffee, tea, and wine cause color compounds to stick to the enamel on your teeth leaving behind a yellow tint when brushed away.
Sure you could buy some teeth whitening strips at home, but you will find that they do not work nearly as well as professional teeth whitening compounds available for use by dentists!
While you are on your way to your bi-annual dentist appoint simply book yourself for a teeth whitening and enjoy your coffee, tea, and wine without worrying about discoloring your pearly whites!
Catch Cavities Early
(Don’t Wait Until It’s Too Late)
Catching cavities early can be the difference between a minor filling and a root canal. And if you have seen the famous movie Little Shop Of Horrors then you know you most certainly don’t want a root canal.
From lack of brushing, bad foods, and sugary drinks, there are so many reasons for cavities to form. Here are some of the symptoms you may experience if you have a cavity:
- • Dark Spots On Your Teeth
- • Discoloration of The Tootht
- • Swelling of The Gums
- • Bad Breath From Mouth
- • Heightened Tooth Sensitivity
- • Heightened Tooth Sensitivity
Braces Are A Worthy Investment for Your Kids
Braces are becoming more and more popular with the advancement of technologies and the availability of insurance. In Fact, according to the Washington Post nearly 4.5 million Americans have braces today which is nearly quadruple the amount since the 1960s.
Why is that number rising so quickly? Well let’s take a look at the benefits of braces:
- • Improve Speech
- • Can Reduce Teeth Grinding
- • Fixed Overbites And Underbites
- • Fixed Overbites And Underbites
- • Helps To Prevent TMJ (Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction)
- • TMJ is a disorder that affects the jaw and is characterized by pain, swelling, or “locking” of the jaw.
If you have been considering orthodontics for your child, then don’t wait too long, as dentists say the best age to have braces done is between 10 – 14 years of age.
Get The Most Out of
Your Insurance.
(If You Have It, Use It!)
If you have a dental insurance policy, then there is no reason for you to not be using it. If you are not utilizing your dental insurance as often as you can, then it will actually just end up costing you money, by means of “opportunity cost”.
“The loss of potential gain from other alternatives when one alternative is chosen.”
To put this simply, if you have insurance and you chose not to use it, you are not only missing out on discounted or in some cases even FREE dental work, but you are also costing yourself money.
Don’t let it go to waste by doing nothing, give your dentist a call today and set up an appointment today! You will be 1 step closer to having cleaner, and healthier teeth!
Keep Your Own Teeth!
No one WANTS to wear dentures and your natural teeth can never really be replaced by porcelain. Sometimes accidents happen and tooth replacement is inevitable, there are most certainly some preventative measures you can take to avoid them for as long as possible.
First, let’s go over some of the problems that you will encounter from having false teeth:
- • Daily Discomfort
- • More Frequent Dr’s Visits
- • Expensive To Maintain
- • Bad Smell & Dirty Mouth Odor
- • Can Cause Chronic Mouth Sores
Sounds pretty awful right? If you don’t want to be burdened with the daily task of having to maintain fake teeth just for them to cause you pain, then it is vital that you follow the below steps to keep your pearly whites for years to come.
What To Do To Keep YOUR Natural Teeth For The Foreseeable Future.
- • Brush Regularly, But Not Aggressively.
- • Make Regular Visits To Your Dentist
- • Don’t Smoke or Use Chewing Tobacco
- • Limit Your Sugar Intake
- • Use Toothpaste And Mouthwash That Contain Fluoride
In Conclusion:
Failing to visit your dentist on a regular basis can result in bad breath, yellow teeth, crooked smiles, and even worse you may end up losing your teeth at an earlier age than you would like.
That is why it is so important to make an effort to see your dentist at least once a year for a checkup and a routine cleaning.
Keep your natural teeth for as long as you possibly can, because they are the only ones you are going to get!
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