Make a Date with a Dentist Today!

March 20^th is World Oral Health Day, and what better time to visit your dentist for a checkup? A dental visit may not seem as important as other special days in your life, but there’s good reason to put it right up there with anniversaries and birthdays!

Even if you follow a proper routine of brushing, flossing and eating healthy, you can’t afford to miss dental appointments if you want your teeth to stay in great shape. That isn’t all, though. Let’s look at why you should make a date with your dentist without delay.

Good Oral Health Isn’t Only Important for Your Mouth

We all know that a proper oral hygiene routine can help prevent dental problems, but the benefits actually go far beyond that:

• The Link between Oral Health and Physical Health

  Research shows that bacterial growth and inflammation caused by gum disease could increase your risk of heart attacks and stroke. Poor oral hygiene is the leading cause of gingivitis and periodontitis, so it’s essential to visit your dentist for professional cleaning every 6 months.

• It’s Connected to Emotional and Mental Health Too

  Dental problems such as bad breath, stained teeth and tooth pain can also affect your emotional/psychological health, leading to low self-esteem, depression and anxiety.

Benefits of Regular Dental Appointments

Here are some of the main reasons why you should visit your dentist regularly:

• Prevention – A dentist can find signs of gum disease, tooth decay and other dental problems before they become obvious to you. A comprehensive checkup also includes oral cancer screening, so it’s very important to maintain a regular schedule for visits.
• Early Treatment – If your dentist finds any sign of oral health issues, timely treatment is critical. This ensures that existing dental problems won’t get worse, and thus require more invasive, painful, expensive or time-consuming treatment in the future.
• Oral Health Advice – As a trained professional, your dentist can help you make changes to your oral care routine if something is missing or could be corrected. This is especially important for young children, to prevent dental problems both now and later in life.
• Nutrition and General Health – Teeth and gums reflect your eating habits, and your dentist can help you understand if you need certain dietary changes for better health. They may also be able to spot warning signals of other issues such as diabetes or heart disease.
• Brighter Smile – Looks aren’t everything, but a whiter, even smile is something we all want. If your self-esteem is affected by crooked, stained or broken teeth, your dentist can perform dental cleaning and suggest treatment options to improve your smile.

Self-Diagnosis Doesn’t Help

It’s common for people to turn to “Google” for answers, especially Millennials. Unfortunately, this could cause more harm than good. When you try to self-diagnose your oral health or dental problems, you’re likely to overlook important aspects that a trained and experienced dentist would find right away.

The Internet is a treasure trove of useful hints and tips, but there’s also a lot of incorrect, ineffective and dangerous information floating around as well. Be smart about what you rely on, and don’t skip your dental visit in favor of “Googling” your problem. Your dentist has the tools, experience and training to do it better.

If you want to do something good for yourself, schedule a dental checkup at the earliest. Our team at All About Smiles is here for you, and we want to make your smile the healthiest it can be. So, if you are looking for a dentist in San Antonio, TX, call us for an appointment now!