The New Year is here! First of all, we hope you and your loved ones have an amazing 2023! Secondly, it is time to schedule your appointments for this year. While many are filling their planners with new goals, aspirations, trips, and more, it is also a great time to get your dental exams down in your books– and ours, too. As one’s physical health often becomes a focus and priority with New Years resolutions, don’t forget to include your dental health in that category as well. Many physical issues are tied to your dental health, which you can read more about below, but first, let’s talk about what goes into a dental exam.
What A Dental Exam Entails
Scheduling these biannual appointments to help ensure that your teeth and gums are healthy. By scheduling routine exams, a certified dentist can examine your oral health and quickly pinpoint any arising issues like cavities, gum disease, plaque, gingivitis, and even mouth cancer. Dentists, like Dr. Polk or Dr. Parker, can evaluate your overall oral health and hygiene and even discover possible underlying physical or mental health issues.
Prior to the doctors examining your teeth, our dental hygienists will clean your teeth as well. Standard dental cleanings are important to remove any and all plaque and other build-ups that may be hard to get with your toothbrush alone. Our hygienists will discuss your overall dental hygiene routine with you as well, seeing possible areas for improvement and suggesting the best tools for you to incorporate into your routine, such as a specific mouthwash or toothpaste to help protect the enamel on your teeth. Flossing is an integral part of your dental hygiene and its importance will likely come up in your dental exam as well, as keeping those gums healthy is vital to your overall health.
Why are Dental Exams Important?
Prevent Mouth Cancer
It may come as a shock, but one person dies from oral cancer every hour. Routinely scheduling your dental exam can help dentists detect potential problems and cancerous cells early. Many times oral cancer is treatable and preventable, but regular visits to the dentist as a crucial component to preventing cancer, especially if you smoke or chew tobacco, as your odds increase significantly.
Save Money
Often, filling cavities, getting veneers, and even crowns can become quite expensive down the road. Scheduling your dental exam or making an online appointment every six months can create that continuity of care that will give you the best odds at keeping your teeth and gums healthy, clean, and disease-free, which in turn keeps your wallet looking healthier, too! For many of us, having that routine visit allows dentists to schedule regular X-rays and catch any problems or potential problems as early as possible, saving larger headaches (figuratively speaking) and toothaches (literally speaking), more pain, and potentially a lot more money down the road.
Regular Visits Keep Larger Issues at Bay
Again, the associated medical issues that stem from dental issues include quite a bit. Gum disease is linked to various types of cardiovascular disease, heart attacks, strokes, and more. Plus, having a regular exam ensures your teeth look extra bright, too, and your smile is bright as our hygienists will be able to remove possible stains and plaque build-up.
Our dental exams also offer the opportunity for you to discuss any potential problems as well, like if you’ve been experiencing any pain, discomfort, or even sensitivity to certain foods or temperatures. Checking in with your dentist regularly via these routine dental cleanings and exams is crucial to maintaining a healthy smile. You can read more about our dental exams here, too.
Schedule Your Dental Exam Now
At Family Dentistry of Columbus, we try to make this task as easy as possible for you and your family. You create your online appointment, using the following link here. Or, you can give us a call at 706.563.5516.