When was the last time you scheduled a dental exam? If you can’t recall or it has been over six months, you will want to consider contacting your SE Calgary dental clinic for an appointment. Routine dental exams are your first defense against an array of oral health issues and dental emergencies. Putting your dental exam off seems tempting, but we will dodge several healthcare bullets before it falls to the bottom of your endless to-do list.
Why Regular Exams are Essential
Routine scheduled dental exams are not only imperative to your oral health, but they are also essential to your overall health. Here is why it’s harmful to forego your regular dental exams:
Gum Disease
Layers of plaque and bacteria on your teeth that built up since your last exam will require a dental professional to remove. Everyday brushing and flossing are essential, but even patients with the most rigorous oral hygiene routine can develop plaque and tartar. This can increase your risk of gingivitis and advance into periodontal (gum) disease—the infection that accompanies this can affect you systemically. Serious health problems such as diabetes are linked to gum disease. This is avoidable with regular dental exams. During a routine exam, your SE Calgary dentist will visually inspect your teeth for plaque and tartar and ensure it is removed.
Oral Cancer
A dental exam can prevent and detect cancer. Your dentist in SE Calgary will examine your mouth, tongue, and surrounding tissue and can detect pre-cancerous or cancerous spots in the early stages of growth.
Cavities
When your tooth enamel begins to soften and damages the structure of your tooth caused by acids, overtime a hole in your tooth can form. We call this hole a cavity. Without treatment, the hole can enlarge and destroy your entire tooth. When you feel pain when eating or drinking, specifically near the root of your tooth, it is likely that you have tooth decay. You should always consult your dentist in this case. However, when the pain grows unbearable and is causing you a toothache you may require emergency dental treatment. It doesn’t need to reach this point. With regular dental exams, your dentist will detect tooth decay before it advances and causes unrepairable damage.
Preserving Your Oral Health and Preventing Emergencies
The correlation between gum disease and infection has resulted in discoveries about the link between gum disease and life-changing conditions. When your mouth harbours bacteria, food, and debris, conditions only worsen. You could be comprising your health for years to come without a dental exam. Serious health issues associated with gum disease include:
- Cardiovascular disease
- Heart attack
- Stroke
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Dementia
- Spending only an hour in your dentist’s chair can minimize your chances of suffering from one of these maladies.
How You Can Prevent Dental Emergencies During COVID-19
The global outbreak of COVID-19 was declared a pandemic. As dental offices cut down their hours or shut down to safeguard the public, the COVID-19 lockdown has revealed that dental exams are essential to avoiding dental emergencies. Scarcely any patients who scheduled regular dental exams and completed dental treatment recommended by their dentist during the lockdown encountered a dental emergency. This excludes dental emergencies caused by an accident that resulted in facial trauma.
No matter how attentive you are when it comes to your daily oral hygiene regimen, visit your dentist twice yearly for a routine dental exam and cleaning. Preventing a dental emergency is as easy as scheduling a routine dental exam. Schedule your dental exam today at our dental clinic in SE Calgary, AB T2Z 3V8.