Cleanings are Pivotal to Good Oral Hygiene

Hello, and welcome back to our blog! In our previous post, we here at Boulder Dental Design went over some of the reasons that you should visit your dentist twice a year for general cleanings. Even though we all brush our teeth on the daily (at least, you should be), getting into all those nooks and crannies of the mouth is more challenging than a lot of people seem to realize. In today’s post, to finish where we left off last time, we are going to go over a few more reasons it is important to make sure that you visit your dentist for general cleanings and how these general cleanings help to ensure that your gums and teeth are as healthy as possible. Keep reading below to learn more.

Oral Health Affects Many Parts of the Body

While common issues related to oral health are well known, such as cavities, gum disease, and tooth decay, maintaining good oral hygiene is about more than just keeping a healthy mouth. If your mouth becomes compromised, infections from the gums can spread to many other areas of the body and, if left untreated, can lead to heart attack or stroke. We assume that this is something that most people want to avoid and, below, we have listed a few more reasons you should visit your dentist for a bi-annual checkup.

• Oral Cancer Screening: Oral cancer, as you can probably assume, is a serious disease that can manifest itself in many different ways. Unfortunately, many people do not know the early warning signs of oral cancer and, if it is not diagnosed, can quickly progress. Luckily, if you visit your dentist twice a year, they will screen you for oral cancer. When oral cancer signs are detected early, they are often very treatable and the more serious stages of cancer can be avoided.

• X-rays: One of the most important reasons to visit your dentist every six months is to have your teeth and jawbone x-rayed. X-rays allow your dentist to see what is going on below the surface of your teeth and catch any issues that may manifest themselves. Additionally, x-rays allow dentists to see any damage to the jaw bone including decay, swelling, cysts, or tumors, all of which are undetectable from a simple surface examination.

• Lymph Node, Neck, and Head Examination: When you visit a dentist, they aren’t just making sure that everything in your mouth looks good, they also make sure that the surrounding areas of the mouth are healthy as well. Often times, swelling around the neck, especially the lymph nodes, and jawline can be indicative of dental problems. Screening these areas allows your dentist to catch any issues and refer you to an appropriate medical professional for treatment.

We hope that this short blog series has been informative and that you better understand why it is so important to visit your dentist every six months. If it has been awhile since your last checkup, please contact us today at Boulder Dental Designs. We will give you a full examination and make sure that all of your oral health needs are met. Contact us today and let’s get started.