For many people, visiting the dentist competes with public speaking on their ranking of most dreaded activities. However, you need to stay on top of your oral health if you want to retain healthy teeth into retirement and beyond. Here are three good reasons to visit your Brooklyn NY dentist.
Keep Your Chompers In Shape
Without teeth, it’s hard to speak properly. You also miss out on the pleasure of chewing food. Regular cleaning cleans the plague off of teeth and gums that can lead to disease. Most people cannot clean their teeth as well as a professional. Besides, do you really floss once a day?
X-rays that are performed as scheduled can catch problems early such as cavities or growing cracks in teeth. After all, an emergency late-night search for a dentist when you have a bad toothache is never fun.
Oral Cancer Screening
If you have a risk factor for oral cancer, such as significant sun exposure or tobacco use, your dentist’s regular examination of your mouth could save your life. During the oral screening part of a typical dental checkup, the dentist looks at your tongue and oral tissues for signs of sores, red lesions, and white patches. Some dentists use a special dye or light that helps them visualize unhealthy cells.
Improve Your Overall Health
Since traditional health insurance doesn’t cover dental care, many people lose sight of the link between dental health and other health issues. Poor oral care can lead to inflammation and infections. Heart disease has been linked to oral health. You may also encounter problems with pregnancy and pneumonia.
Your saliva harbors germs that can enter your body and cause problems. If you have AIDs or diabetes, your body becomes less resistant to infections that start in your mouth.
You want to visit your dentist regularly to keep your teeth healthy, get oral cancer screenings, and stay on top of your overall medical condition.