In a recent study shared by the ADA, 58% of participants surveyed said they visit the dentist at least once per year. That number was down from the previous year.
As money becomes tighter and people need to make tough choices regarding their healthcare costs, it seems as though all too many let their annual dental exam fall by the wayside. That’s a mistake.
Dental care and healthcare are deeply intertwined. Several issues that you might experience with your mouth can have serious implications on your heart health as well as increase your chances of developing cancer and other harsh diseases.
So then, what can you expect to enjoy if you make getting a dental exam a priority? Keep reading to take in all of the benefits exams bring to patients.
1. Avoid Cavities
One of the most common dental conditions that are developed from a lack of dental intervention is cavities. For the uninitiated, cavities are areas of teeth that become decayed due to poor maintenance. These decayed areas develop into holes, which can be painful and unsightly.
The best way to avoid getting cavities is to ensure that food build-up is removed from hard-to-find places in your mouth. That’s something dental professionals will manage when you’re in their office.
2. Side-Step Gum Disease
Poor dental hygiene puts you at risk of developing gum disease. Gum disease is a condition that’s quite serious, as unhealthy gums can directly affect your heart.
Seeing as how heart disease is the number one killer in the United States, your gum’s health should concern you.
Looking beyond serious health conditions, diseased gums that you haven’t had a dentist manage in over a year will turn red, become inflamed, and can be a chief cause of bad breath. Again, a dental intervention can help you identify gum disease in its early stages so you can avoid its serious problems.
3. Prevent Dental Extractions
Missing teeth are not a good look. Teeth are also not cheap to get extracted.
Unfortunately, though, if your teeth have suffered from neglect and have developed severe gum issues, problems with cavities that can’t be filled, or any number of other issues, extractions will become a necessity.
Preventive care through a routine dental exam can save the life of your teeth and help preserve the continuity of your smile.
4. Fight Bad Breath
One of the most obvious superficial benefits of a dental exam is that dental professionals can help your breath smell better.
How? Put simply, a healthy mouth is non-odorous.
Dental professionals will ensure that rotting food and bacteria build-up are removed from hard-to-reach places. On top of that, just about every dental exam comes with a routine cleaning conducted by a hygienist, which will leave your mouth feeling the freshest it has felt all year!
5. Keep Your Smile White
Speaking of routine cleanings, fighting bad breath isn’t the only thing that professionally conducted cleanups are going to net you. In addition to having breath that smells great, you’ll walk out of your dental exam with teeth that are as white as you can naturally get them.
You might think that you could pick up your own whitening paste and brush your teeth to get the glowing smile you’re looking for. Chances are, though, your efforts will pale in comparison to the results you’ll get from having a trained hygienist using state-of-the-art tools working on your mouth.
6. Enjoy Affordable Dental Work
Do you have insurance? If you do, on just about every plan we’ve seen, preventative dental care is free.
You read that right! Getting your teeth examined and cleaned will likely set you back nothing.
Even if you have to pay for your routine exam out of pocket, exams and cleanings are relatively cheap and will help you avoid more costly procedures down the road.
7. Protect Your Insurance Allotment
Dental insurance plans tend to offer a certain amount of dental work per year before they stop covering you. By taking the time to get preventive care, you can better protect your annual allotment, which you may need to call on if you run into an emergency.
Imagine being in a position where you were in an accident and fractured your teeth but used up your insurance allowance filling cavities. That reality is one that’s best avoided and can be by checking in with your dentist once per year.
8. Boost Your Confidence
When you take the time to visit an office or whatever other practice is in your area, you don’t just give your oral health a fighting chance. You give your confidence a serious boost.
A healthy smile means you’re feeling and looking your best. Those benefits are invaluable as you move through life, trying to be your best self!
Stop Reading and Start Scheduling Your Next Dental Exam
It should come as no surprise that getting a dental exam is beneficial. What may shock you is that, even with basic insurance, exams can be 100% free.
So, what are you waiting for? Stop reading and start making an appointment to get a dental exam before the end of the year.
Our team is confident that if you take the time to do so, you’ll be glad you did.
We’re passionate about health and beauty and want to share that passion with you. If you’d like more tips on how you can look and feel your best, check out additional content we have posted on our blog!
