Taking care of your smile doesn’t just help your teeth look brighter for longer, but can prevent many common oral health issues. As we age, our risk for tooth loss increases due to gum disease, tooth decay, and dry mouth.

Fortunately, your dentist is there to support your oral care. By committing to routine visits with your dentist, along with your oral health care practices at home, you can keep your smile bright and healthy for life. Here are a few reasons why routine dental care is so important.

Prevent Common Oral Health Problems

When you go in to see your dentist, you’ll receive a cleaning from a dental hygienist who will carefully clean your teeth and even floss between them to remove plaque buildup in areas you may be missing during your regular oral care routine.

Your dentist can review areas of improvement with you, and you may also need x-rays to check for decay between the teeth and other problems. Regular cleanings and checkups can not only prevent problems, but help you catch any oral health issues early to minimize your need for treatment [1].

Identify Bodily Health Conditions

Many people don’t realize that their dentist can actually catch some bodily health problems early as well during their visit. For example, your dentist may be able to see oral health problems that could indicate your risk for serious health conditions such as heart disease and diabetes, and even osteoporosis. Your dentist will also screen for oral cancer during your visit, which can help you catch the disease early for a simpler treatment [2].

Reduce Risk of Emergencies

Dental health problems that turn into an emergency can not only be costly to fix, but can cause discomfort that impacts your daily life. When you neglect your oral health, including regular dental visits, you miss your chance to identify issues that can turn into emergencies, in some cases overnight.

A toothache, tooth infection, broken dental restoration, or fractured tooth can all turn into dental emergencies. Having your dentist evaluate your smile regularly can help prevent emergencies and keep your smile healthy and pain-free, not to mention save you money from emergency appointments and fixes.

Boost Your Confidence

People say the first thing they notice about someone is their smile, and a smile can influence how others perceive us [3]. When you have a healthy and bright smile, you can smile with confidence. Over time, stains, chipped or broken teeth, and plaque buildup can compromise both the health and the appearance of your smile.

When you take care of your teeth and visit your dentist for regular cleanings, you can keep staining to a minimum and maintain your smile for a great for impression for life!

How Well Do You Take Care of Your Smile?

Do you invest in your smile on a daily basis through brushing and flossing? What about keeping those regular dentist appointments? Routine dental care can help you maintain your smile’s health and appearance for a lifetime investment!

Sources:
1. https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/dental-exam-for-children/about/pac-
20393728
2. https://www.mouthhealthy.org/en/dental-care-concerns/questions-about-going-to-
the-dentist
3. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/first-impressions-are-everything-new-
study-confirms-people-with-straight-teeth-are-perceived-as-more-successful-smarter-
and-having-more-dates-148073735.html