Yes, it’s that detrimental.

However, a regular 6-month check-up with your dentist remains the surest way to ensure a good oral health and of course, your overall wellness with regard to health. It’s more of a preventive measure given that gum-related diseases are 100% preventable. Unfortunately, only a few people schedule and adhere to such visits with majority overlooking such an important activity.

This prompts the question—where do you fall? Either way, scheduling a regular dental check-up after every six months is the ultimate solution to strong and healthy teeth and gums. As you know a dental check-up involves two steps which include examination and cleaning. In addition, the dentist will offer you input in ensuring the regular cleaning of your teeth.

Here are the benefits you get by observing a regular dental check-up:

1. Dental X-rays

You get to establish any impending gum or tooth-related problems with a dental x-ray that has the ability to detect any seemingly invisible oral problems. Early detection saves you of the pain agony and the costs you’d otherwise incur in treating the problem.

2. Clears your teeth of any harmful substances

Regular brushing and flossing are effective in plaque removal—and it’s highly recommended. However, these healthy practices can’t rid your teeth of tartar. You’ll need the help of a dentist since it’s impossible to do this at home.

The cleaning process, also known as scaling, requires the use of special tools by your dentist and hence leaves your mouth, teeth, and gums clean and healthy. Remember, tartar build-up can cause gum disease, tooth decay, and to the extreme, even a heart disease.

3. Early diagnosis of any potential oral cancer risks

The check-up/examination is vital in detecting any abnormalities in your mouth (of course your teeth, gums, and tongue form part of your mouth) which could be a sign of cancer. Early detection implies easy work when it comes to treating the condition, as you know, managing an advanced cancer condition can be very challenging in terms of finance and the pain it brings on you.

Though consumption of alcohol and smoking greatly expose you to the illness, poor oral health has also been linked to oral cancer.

4. First-hand dental tips

Nothing serves better as getting first-hand oral health tips from a professional dentist. You get useful information that will help you overcome any unhealthy oral practices (like bad eating habits and the use of harmful substances like tobacco) thus saving you from embarrassing scenarios like the loss of teeth or bad breath.

Takeaway

Good oral hygiene practice shields you from any oral health problem which may advance to affect your general health—causing life term diseases like cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.

Brushing twice daily, flossing, and using mouthwash can help to keep your mouth clean and free from the plaque bacteria hence leaving you with fresh breath. Other than the normal dental care tips, if you are in UK or Canada you can setup appointments for regular dental check-ups ( London, Ontario ) with any of the quality dentists that can be found online - which can be after every six months (or twice a year). The check-up is essential in ensuring healthy teeth and gums via a cleaning process known as scaling—which entails the removal of plaque and tartar build-up from your teeth. You also get a general oral health check-up to ascertain the existence of any oral problems. Remember, prevention is better than cure.
Dr. Holly Gregory, the author of this article, is a native Texan and operates Houston Dental Implants, Family Dentistry, Oral Surgery And Periodontics in Humble, Texas. In her spare time, she blogs to help people improve their dental wellness.