February is Gum Disease Awareness Month, a time to educate individuals on the importance of preventing gum disease and encourage them to schedule an appointment with the dentist. The American Dental Association recommends that you see your dentist regularly for prevention and treatment of oral disease. This helps to keep your smile healthy and support a healthier you. Let’s learn more about the benefits of keeping up with your routine dental visits:
Preventing Gum Disease
Almost half of all adults over 30 have some form of gum disease, which can affect more than just your mouth. The bacteria created by gum disease can travel to other parts of the body, increasing your risk for high blood sugar levels, heart disease, or even Alzheimer’s disease. Regular dental visits can help catch gum disease early and get you the treatment you need in order to stop it from spreading.
Screening for Oral Cancer
One of the steps taken by dentists during your visit is checking for signs of oral cancer. This can include things like red and white patches or lumps in the mouth. When you skip out on the dentist, these signs can go unnoticed and therefore untreated. Keeping up with your dental visits helps detect oral cancer early, which can help with better treatment outcomes, potentially saving your life.
Other Preventions
While regular dental cleanings can help prevent gum disease and detect oral cancer, they can also prevent and treat more minor dental problems you may be experiencing before they become serious. One example of this is plaque and tartar build-up. Cleanings can help reduce this build-up and prevent the development of other dental problems such as cavities. An untreated cavity can lead to infection and even the loss of a tooth. By seeing your dentist regularly, they’ll be able to catch cavities when they first begin to develop and treat them as needed.
While you may think it’s only important to see the dentist when you have a dental problem such as a chipped tooth, keeping up with your regular dental visits can help keep your smile healthy in the long run. Schedule an appointment with us today!
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