Dentist: The Importance Of Regular Checkups

If you are like the average American, you likely find going to the dentist to be one of your least favorite responsibilities. After all, not only do you have to take off of work, but you also have to deal with someone cleaning your teeth and working inside your mouth. If you feel tempted to brush off your dental checkups, taking the attitude that you will go if something is wrong, you may want to think twice. Those checkups could save you thousands of dollars over your lifetime, and maybe even your life.

Your mouth is more than just the gateway to your digestive system. It actually can tell much about how healthy your body is. Many diseases and conditions, including some that are life-threatening, are first detected by signs in the mouth. When your dentist examines your teeth and takes x-rays, he is not only looking at your teeth, but also at your tongue, blood vessels, and throat. Problems in these areas can point to other serious health conditions.

For example, HIV sometimes manifests itself first as a dry mouth and throat. Your oral healthcare specialist can also see tumors in the mouth before they spread. Recently, x-rays have been used to target the potential for a stroke by locating plaque buildup in the arteries of the neck. In each of these situations, the signs the dentist sees can prompt the patient to seek further, life-saving medical care.

Sometimes the dental problems are all that is found at a routine checkup. If your dentist spots a potential problem at your checkup, he can fix it before it becomes serious and costly. For instance, a simple cavity can be filled before it turns into a situation that requires a root canal. This saves significant amounts of money, making the dental checkup a good financial investment.

Of course, most routine checkups do not end up finding a potentially life-threatening medical condition. In fact, many dental checkups end with a positive diagnosis of healthy teeth and gums. But at those appointments, the doctor has the opportunity to thoroughly clean the teeth and check the health of the gums.

Having your teeth professionally cleaned can ward off future problems due to plaque buildup. This helps your teeth to stay healthy, eliminating the possibility of losing them at an early age. As more and more people are seeing a dentist on a regular basis, the need for dentures is decreasing, because people’s teeth are staying where they need to be.

So the next time you are thinking about skipping your dental checkup, stop and think about the benefits. With a short appointment you could spot potential health risks and preserve the health of your teeth. Is this something you really want to miss?