Most dentists praise the benefits of regular dental check-ups and cleanings; ideally patients should pay their dentist a visit every six months or so. But depending on how good a patient’s oral health is, they may need to visit the dentist more frequently or less often. The frequency of dental visits can only be judged by a dentist.
Regular dental check-ups can help highlight a few lurking signs of imminent oral problems so that preventive measures can be taken. During a regular check-up, a dentist in Mackay, such as Northern Beaches Dental, will be able to look for signs of tooth decay and gum disease.
Plaque and tartar
One risk factor for potential oral problems is plaque or tartar (hardened plaque), which is harmful to the health of teeth and gums. Even meticulous brushers and flosses find it difficult to remove plaque at home. Professional scaling and polishing by a dental hygienist or dentist in Mackay is the only way plaque and tartar can be safely removed from the surface of the teeth and below the gum line.
Other risk factors
Other risk factors such as dry mouth, misaligned teeth, cracked or irritating tooth fillings and dentures, partially impacted wisdom teeth and missing teeth, may be identified and improved to help prevent cavities and gum disease. Patients who are susceptible to tooth decay may also have protective treatments (i.e. dental sealants).
Avoiding unnecessary problems
The earlier oral health problems like cavities, gum disease and oral cancer are detected and promptly treated by a dentist in Mackay, the simpler and less expensive the treatment procedures and the better the outcome. If left untreated, gum disease and tooth decay can cause many problems including tooth loss and bone loss. Most of the time, patients do not have symptoms of gum disease until it has reached an advanced stage.
Non-surgical treatments like deep scaling and polishing are enough to treat mild-to-moderate forms of gum disease; however, advanced gum disease may require surgery. Finally, in case of oral cancer, early detection followed by appropriate treatment is very important for increasing survival rates and improving the quality of a patient’s life.
