Why You Need to Stop Avoiding the Dentist

When it comes to our oral health, it’s imperative to routinely visit your dentist at least once a year and ideally every six months. However, a whole lot of us forgo our dentist visits due to the anxiety of a dental appointment — as well as a variety of other reasons. 

It is important to note that when we skip our routine dentist appointments, any issues with our teeth or oral health, in general, can go unchecked and essentially leave us worse for wear over a long period of time. You aren’t giving your dentist the chance to catch issues early, for example, and this can cause a long, costly and sometimes even painful process down the line. 

With that in mind, we have some reasons below as to why you shouldn’t be avoiding the dentist and what you can do to make your visit to the dentist’s office a little more pleasant and less anxiety-inducing. 

Take a look at why you need to stop avoiding the dentist below. 

You’re Increasing Your Risk of Cavities, Plaque Build Up and More

Off the top, one of the most obvious reasons to stop avoiding the dentist is that you’re preventing your chances of a good checkup and clean. 

When we see our dentists once or twice a year, we’re getting that expert eye that lets us know if there are any issues occurring and what we can do to prevent them. On top of this, you’re also getting a nice, reliable dental cleaning that our teeth need on a routine basis. 

After a year or six months of use without a professional dental cleaning, our teeth can look a little worse for wear — even if we take our own cleaning extra seriously. It’s near impossible to get an immaculate clean on your own, and with that said, the dentist is your best bet. 

You’re Informed of Bad Habits 

Another key reason to stop avoiding the dentist is that your oral health practitioner will be able to give you some insight into any bad habits you may have developed without even noticing. 

One of these habits, for example, could be grinding your teeth during your sleep, which presents in the form of ground and flattened teeth. You may also have developed a habit of nail-biting or chewing ice, for example, two other habits which can cause mild to severe issues when it comes to our teeth. 

With that noted, don’t avoid expert dentists like Australian Dental Specialists as they’re able to tell you if any of your lifestyle choices are causing damage to your teeth.

Preventing or Diagnosing Gum Disease

A second major reason to keep up with your routine dental visits is to keep on top of series issues like gum disease. 

Even though you may be able to diagnose or at least spot this issue on your own, there are some people where gum disease presents little to no symptoms at all — and when this occurs, you need an expertly trained eye to pick up on the issue for you. 

If you don’t see your dentist, you’re not going to be able to pick up on these issues early enough to prevent major damage or breakdown of your gums, and so you will be creating some pretty nasty issues for yourself in the future. 

To end, gum disease is one of the more destructive of the oral health issues out there and should be taken as exceedingly seriously as possible, and so, getting that checkup is vitally important. 

You Can Spot Underlying Issues with X-rays

One other major reason to keep on top of your dentist visits is the fact that you’re able to rely on the professional equipment these teams offer. 

There is nothing more helpful in the realm of oral health than an X-ray of your teeth, and every six months to a year, your dentist will be able to provide you with these checkups and get a look inside of your teeth. With these images, you’re able to keep on top of things such as abscesses and decay that may not be noticeable or even visible to your dentist. 

With that in mind, you should stop avoiding your dentist with the hopes of getting on top of your oral at home and on your own without any professional intervention.

The Takeaway

All of those points above outlined, it should be quite clear that seeing your dentist is vitally important when it comes to keeping on top of your oral health and making sure your oral hygiene is in check. 

You’ll also be doing yourself a big favour in that a routine dental visit keeps tabs on issues that may not be presenting or could cause major damage down the line. Don’t neglect your dental health and set up an appointment now to get a healthy smile with Landmark Family Dental in Port Hueneme.