Why You Need to See a Dentist

As people get older they often forget to visit the dentist.  As a child, or parents of children, dental visits are more common because they are part of their overall preventative care routine.  Adults have busy schedules; work to go to, families to take care of, and friends to see.  This makes annual physicals and annual dental visits few and far between for many people.

This is a huge risk.  Your teeth require ongoing care in order to stay in good health.  While the visits may become less frequent, the risks actually increase with age.  Things like gum disease and cavities can lead to lasting problems and tooth decay.

Here are some of the reasons it is important to see the dentist at least once per year.

Bacteria

Bacteria can enter your mouth simply by eating and drinking.  Saliva, brushing, and flossing will help to make the bacteria go away but may not kill it completely.  Once bacteria are in your mouth it has the ability to spread and grow.  When it grows it creates a bacterial infection that can attack your dental pulp, nerve system, and gums.  When you have your teeth professionally cleaned, we are able to reach places that you cannot get to with brushing and flossing alone.  This removes the bacteria before it causes a problem.

Plaque and Tartar

When bacteria mixes with saliva, it forms plaque.  This substance is difficult to remove through brushing alone.  It can cause your teeth to look discolored and for an infection to grow.  If the plaque is left on your teeth for too long, it can turn into tartar which is a hard substance and needs professional intervention to remove.

Cavities

When cavities first form they may not cause you too much pain.  There may be discomfort when you eat certain foods and a sticky feeling when you bite down.  If cavities are left alone, the infection will grow and your teeth with start to suffer.  The area around the cavity can turn black or brown, a large hole can form, and your nerves can get attacked.  This is when you will experience pain and your appearance will suffer.  If you visit the dentist every year, we can catch the cavities when they are small and fix them before you have further damage.

Root and Dental Pulp Infections

When bacteria get into your dental pulp (soft spot in the center of your tooth) it needs to be remove with a root canal.  When you leave the infection in place, the roots can also become infected.  As the bacterial infection grows, it can become so bad that pus starts to form inside of your tooth, and a hole is naturally created in order to release it.  Patients that go too long with this type of infection will start to have pus form inside of their mouth.  This is a terrible feeling and one you want to avoid at all cost.  Fortunately, a simple trip to the dentist and a corresponding root canal will do the trick.

Our dentist office treats patients of all ages.  By performing routine preventative care, we can help you to stay healthy and to feel great.