When most adult dental patients receive an email or text message reminding them that it is time for a dental check-up, it is easy to say that the majority begin looking for a way to avoid getting into the dental chair!
But while it may be perceived as an inconvenience at best, or a fear-inducing experience at worst, having check-ups with our team is essential to ensuring that your teeth and gums, not to mention your general health, remain in good condition.
Our dentist on Glasgow is a general dentist for Whanganui New Zealand and our ethos is all about prevention. We strongly urge all of our patients to attend check-ups, especially following the restrictions that were placed on dental surgeries during COVID-19. Even if you think there isn't a problem, we still need to see you and your teeth on a regular basis!
But why exactly are check-ups with our general dentist for Whanganui New Zealand so important? Read on to learn what we check for during them and how they can improve your general health.
Decay
An extremely common condition that our general dentist for Whanganui New Zealand sees is tooth decay.
Tooth decay is easily prevented with good oral hygiene and a low sugar diet, but if you have missed a couple of dental check-ups, you may have cavities or other signs of tooth decay that you simply cannot detect at home. And once a cavity has formed, you will need to have it filled by a member of our team to prevent further degeneration of the tooth and discomfort.
Gum disease
Many patients are puzzled when it comes to dental check-ups, as they wonder why our team is poking their gums with a metallic pick.
This is to assess the gums; if your gums are too spongy or soft, this is a clear sign of gum disease, but at an early stage this can be reversed with a scale and polish, the use of a chlorhexidine based mouthwash and upping your dental hygiene.
For more advanced cases of gum disease, we will typically refer you to our hygienist.
Orthodontic assessment
We also assess the position of your teeth as this is more than an aesthetic issue.
If you have misaligned molars as an adult, this can cause you to grind your teeth at night and may even be linked to headaches and poor sleep.
Luckily, you do not have to undertake a fitted brace to manage orthodontic misalignments and you may be suitable for an aligner such as Invisalign.
Oral cancer
One of the key things that we assess all of our patients for when they come to see us is oral cancer. Not only is this easy to detect, but it is one of the easiest of the cancers to treat, so by missing oral hygiene appointments, you may be putting your life in danger, especially if you are a smoker or have a family history of oral cancer.
Prevention medications
And finally, we come on to the ‘add-ons’ or the prevention-based medications.
If we feel that the toothpaste you are using is not strong enough, our team can prescribe you a high fluoride toothpaste that will protect and repair your teeth. If you have gum disease our team can prescribe a medicated mouthwash for you as well.
DISCLAIMER
All treatment carries risks. Individual consultation is required with one of our practitioners to ensure that the treatment is right for you.
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