Going to the dentist is not something most people love to do and we understand that. This is at least one reason making routine dental appointments often gets put on the back burner for many of us. If everything looks and feels fine, it just doesn’t seem like a top priority, right? Unfortunately, it’s that reasoning that leads to so many preventable dental issues.
Your routine dental cleaning and check ups are the very best way to prevent bigger, more painful and more expensive dental issues down the road. Why? Because when you come for your bi-annual cleaning, Dr. Patel and our dental hygiene team do many things you might not even be aware of, such as checking for signs of gum disease, oral cancer, compromised fillings and crowns and of course, tooth decay. Catching these things early can help preserve your teeth and smile and in some cases, your overall health, as dental issues have been linked to heart disease, heart attacks, strokes, diabetes, dementia, and problems during pregnancy.
The Secret to a Year of Dental Health
The secret is simple—make both your cleaning appointments for the year at the same time—one for the near future and another one for six months later. Once you have the appointments made, you’re much more likely to see your dentist twice a year and if there are any problems, they can be addressed and resolved before they become bigger issues.
Don’t Forget Your New Years Dental Resolutions
A study was published by the journal of Community Dentistry & Oral Epidemiology that determined that people with 20 teeth or more at 70 years old had a much higher chance of living longer than those with less than 20 teeth. The key is keeping as many of your own teeth as you can and for as long as possible with good dental care.
Dental experts have also determined that flossing daily can add upwards to 6 years to your life! With these statistics in mind, here are some of our suggested resolutions for a new year of better dental health and a happy smile:
- Make both of your annual dental cleaning appointments at the same time and preferably at the beginning of the year
- Brush at least twice a day. This is one we have heard our whole lives and yet it bears repeating.
- Commit to flossing every day. It takes less than two minutes and the health benefits are immense.
- Try to quit smoking. Of course this is good for your overall health but smoking is also linked to a dental problems and tooth loss.
- Use an anti-cavity mouthwash.
- Follow your dentist or hygienist’s recommendations.
Dr. Patel, Dr. Parasher and the team at A Caring Dentist of Tampa can help you protect your teeth with regular dental check ups. Make an appointment at our Carrollwood or Wesley Chapel dental offices today. Take care of your teeth and they will take care of you!