Your oral and dental health is vital to your general health and well-being. Additionally, ensuring your teeth are healthy can give you an appealing and attractive smile, which boosts your self-esteem and confidence.

While your oral and dental care practices like teeth brushing and flossing are helpful, scheduling regular dental appointments with your dentist has several long-term benefits you cannot overlook. You will likely find several excuses to skip routine dental exams and checkups, whether it is the lack of insurance coverage, dental anxiety, or a tight work schedule.

Unfortunately, procrastination or skipping your routine dental visits could cause severe medical issues. Scheduling an appointment at least twice yearly or every six months is advisable, even if you do not have any oral and dental health issues or complications. Discussed below are the long-term advantages of scheduling regular dental appointments with a dentist:

Helps Prevent Possible Dental Complications

While flossing and brushing your teeth daily is the first step for preventing possible dental and oral health complications, only professional cleanings can remove stubborn stains and plaque buildup on the surface of your teeth. Your dentist could recommend deep teeth cleaning if you have missed a few routine dental cleaning appointments and are at risk of gum disease.

Also known as scaling and root planing, deep teeth cleaning is an advanced cleaning that helps remove plaque and tartar buildup on and below the gum surface, which is challenging to eliminate using your toothbrush.

In addition to being costly, most dental and oral health problems are painful and could impact several aspects of our overall health when left unchecked. Below are examples of preventative dental treatments your dentist can recommend during this regular dental appointment:

  • Teeth cleaning — Even if you do not have any teeth problems, regular teeth cleanings are helpful to keep dental and oral health issues, like cavities and gingivitis, at bay
  • Fluoride treatment — In addition to routine teeth cleaning, your dentist may recommend this treatment to remineralize and strengthen your tooth enamel. Additionally, fluoride plays a critical role in minimizing acidic secretions by the harmful bacteria in your mouth
  • Dental sealant placement — A dental sealant is a thin, tooth-colored protective coating that a dentist applies on the chewing surfaces of your teeth (premolars and molars) to protect your teeth against cavity-causing bacteria

Treatment of Foul Breath

While it is common to experience foul breath after consuming odor-causing foods, like ginger, onions, garlic, and some spices, daily oral care practices like tooth brushing can make this foul smell disappear. However, if brushing your teeth does not make this issue disappear, there is a chance that you will have halitosis, a chronic bad breath issue.

Halitosis is mainly caused by repeated poor oral care habits, leading to the build-up of bacteria that produce foul-smelling sulfur compounds. Other causes of halitosis include:

  • Smoking
  • Gum disease (periodontitis)
  • Certain medications

During these routine dental appointments, your dentist can help you pinpoint the exact cause of your bad breath and offer the necessary treatment. For example, if the cause of your bad breath issue is periodontitis, deep teeth cleaning could help prevent the progression of the disease and the bad breath issue.

Early Diagnosis of Dental Health Problems and Oral Cancer

Another vital long-term benefit of routine dental checkups is the early diagnosis of dental health problems before they become problematic. Several oral and dental health issues, including cavities, gum disease, and oral cancer, are easy to treat when a dentist detects them early but can become more complex and costly to treat when allowed to progress.

During your routine dental appointments, your dentist will carefully examine your oral tissues and teeth to determine if there is any abnormality. Symptoms like bleeding or swollen gums could be a sign of gum disease or other systemic health issues like diabetes. If a dentist detects a health issue beyond his/her scope of expertise, he/she will recommend you to a specialist for proper treatment.

Sometimes, you will not notice a cavity or tooth crack until it worsens, causing severe tooth pain or sensitivity, especially when you sip cold or hot drinks. However, using digital X-ray images, your dentist can detect tooth cracks, determine your risk of cavities during your regular dental appointment, and offer appropriate treatment before they become problematic.

During these routine dental visits, your dentist will examine your mouth and gums to determine whether you are at risk of oral cancer. If your dentist notices early signs of oral cancer, like unexplained lumps, swelling, or bleeding, he/she will refer you to a specialist for accurate diagnosis and treatment before the issue becomes problematic.

A family dentist can also help children and teenagers prevent orthodontic issues, like teeth crowding and malocclusion, through routine dental checkups. During this routine dental appointment, your dentist can use digital X-rays and other imaging techniques to understand the structures beneath your child's gums and teeth.

If your child's jawbone is misaligned or he/she has bite issues (malocclusion), the dentist will recommend wearing braces to align the teeth.

Assessment of Your Dental Fillings

Most dental treatments are not permanent and could require frequent assessment to check their condition and effectiveness. For example, if you have any tooth restored using dental fillings, you should not skip your routine dental checkup appointment. A dental filling is a composite resin (tooth-colored), gold, amalgam, or porcelain material that a dentist uses to restore a tooth severely damaged by an injury or decay.

Dental fillings are vital because they restore the aesthetics and functions of your tooth, allowing you to chew without challenges. Routine dental visits are crucial because, during these visits, your dentist can assess your dental fillings to ensure they are functional and estimate their durability. If your dental fillings are discolored, chipped, or cracked, your dentist could replace them.

Sometimes, the dentist could recommend imaging techniques like X-rays for a more detailed view of your filling and the surrounding jawbone and tooth structures. These routine X-rays are necessary because they help your dentist unearth hidden decay or damage beneath your dental filling that he/she can detect during visual examination.

Early detection of decay underneath the dental fillings is important to facilitate immediate treatment of the tooth and prevent further damage.

Over time, dental fillings can become dislodged or loose due to wear, chewing forces, and changes in tooth structure. When that happens, your dentist will detect it during your routine visits and recommend an appropriate remedy, including replacement or repair.

It Offers You Options

Knowing you will have several remedy options when a dentist detects a dental issue early feels good. Depending on the severity of the issue, the dentist could recommend various treatments to prevent further problems and preserve your oral and dental health. The availability of options gives you the leeway to choose your ideal treatment based on your unique budget.

Therefore, it is beneficial to schedule regular dental appointments with your dentist to allow him/her to detect your oral and dental health complications before they become severe and costly to treat. For example, if your dentist detects that you have cavities, he/she could recommend the placement of a dental filling, which is a cost-friendly procedure.

When the cavities are left unchecked or left to progress, your treatment options will be narrowed to inlays and onlays, dental crowns, or a more comprehensive treatment like root canal therapy to fix the issue.

Helps Improve Your Smile Appearance

The appearance of your smile plays a critical role in how you feel about yourself and how people perceive you. A healthy and appealing smile can help boost your self-esteem and confidence, making professional and social interactions fun. Fortunately, regular dental visits for checkups and teeth cleaning are one way to keep your teeth bright and appealing for the longest time possible.

During your routine dental cleanings, your dentist will use special dentistry tools to scrape off stubborn plaque that was challenging to remove using your toothbrush. Additionally, your dentist could recommend teeth whitening treatments (in-office) to maintain your pearly whites.

If your teeth' discoloration or stains are not severe, the dentist could recommend tailor-made whitening trays that can help improve your smile's appearance. Regular dental appointments allow the dentist to detect these issues early enough before they become worse and progress into more severe problems that could affect the health of your gums and teeth.

While routine cleanings and teeth whitening are enough to give you that celebrity-like smile, if you have misaligned teeth or jaw, orthodontic treatment, like braces, could be necessary to boost the aesthetic appearance of your smile. Other times, your dentist could recommend a surgical procedure if your teeth or jaw misalignment issues are severe and braces cannot fix the problem.

These are some options your dentist may consider to enhance your smile's appearance. Most general dentists can offer cosmetic dental treatment, but if your issues require the services of a specialist, like an orthodontist, your dentist can recommend a reliable and reputable professional.

Helps Solve Sleep Problems

If you often experience sleep disorders, it could be challenging to determine the cause of the issue until you visit your dentist. During your routine dental visit, you should discuss your sleep issues with your dentist, and he/she will help you determine the cause of the problem.

While sleep problems can be caused by various factors, including medical conditions and lifestyle choices, they can also be caused by teeth-grinding problems. Also medically known as bruxism, teeth grinding is a condition that involves rubbing or squeezing your teeth together during the day or at night.

If you clench or grind your teeth while asleep, you will likely experience sleep problems or disorders, such as:

  • Sleep apnea (pauses in breathing while asleep)
  • Snoring

The teeth-grinding sound could interrupt your sleep partners if you have sleep bruxism. If you often experience headaches, worn-out enamel, or teeth sensitivity, there is a chance that you have bruxism. To treat bruxism and improve your sleep, your dentist could recommend the following remedies:

  • Making lifestyle changes
  • Jaw massage and exercises
  • Wearing mouthguards at night
  • Botox injections
  • Medications like muscle relaxers before going to bed
  • Anxiety and stress management

In addition to addressing the cause of your sleep disorder, your dentist can treat any dental damage caused by regular teeth grinding during regular dental check-up appointments.

You Will Receive Dental and Oral Health Education

One of the underrated advantages of scheduling regular dental appointments with a dentist is the valuable dental and oral health education he/she offers you during these visits. After keenly assessing your gums and teeth for possible complications and offering any necessary treatment, the dentist will provide valuable advice on staying on top of your dental health.

He/she could offer advice on how to clean your teeth and gums effectively and lifestyle changes you need to make to avoid future dental and oral health issues. Sometimes, if you are at risk of specific dental and oral health complications, the dentist will offer tips on how to avoid further damage.

Some of the common and valuable knowledge about dental health that your dentist could offer you during your routine dental appointments will cover the following vital topics:

  1. Nutrition and Diet

If your dentist detects that you are at risk of particular dental and oral health complications, the dentist will offer you advice on dietary choices. He/she will inform you about the foods you should incorporate into your diet and the ones to avoid.

For example, when you are at risk of cavities, he/she will recommend you minimize or avoid starchy and sugary foods, like candies, because they are favorite foods for the harmful cavity-causing bacteria in your mouth.

  1. Teeth Grinding

When you have a chipped tooth or damaged enamel, a possible sign of bruxism, your dentist will notice during your routine dental appointments and offer the necessary advice. For example, he/she could recommend stress management techniques and wearing mouthguards to discourage this harmful habit and prevent further damage to your teeth.

  1. Bad Habits

During your routine dental appointments, your dentist will discourage smoking and ice-chewing habits because they could negatively affect oral and dental health. For example, smoking can cause bad breath and affect your smile's aesthetics.

The sooner your dentist addresses these “bad” habits and lifestyle choices that could affect your dental health, the better to avoid dental issues and stay on top of your oral health.

Helps Reduce Emetophobia

Dental phobia and anxiety are issues that affect many people, making them skip dental appointments and putting their dental health at risk. Many problems could cause you to experience dental phobia and anxiety, whether it is your past negative experiences or your friends' experiences at the dentist's clinic.

Fortunately, this issue can be lessened through regular dental appointments that allow you to build a trustworthy relationship with your dentist and familiarize yourself with all possible procedures you can anticipate during your dental visit.

Once you have built a trustworthy relationship with your dentist, you will notice these dental phobias will begin to subside, and you will be looking forward to your next dental appointment. If you have children, introducing them to regular dental appointments early could help build this trustworthy relationship with the family dentist and reduce their dental anxieties.

Helps Keep Your Overall Health in Check

Your dental and oral health can provide important insights into your overall health. Some health problems could be linked to your dental and oral health, but you will not notice it until you visit your dentist. For example, there is a connection between gum disease and diabetes.

That means if you fail to visit your dentist regularly to have your gums checked, you could be at risk of diabetes, and you will not know it. Your dentist could determine if you have diabetes through any of the following methods:

  • Visual examination — While dry mouth and gum disease could be due to other causes, sometimes it could be a sign of diabetes
  • Checking your health history — Your dentist could require you to provide him/her with your medical records, including your family’s diabetes history
  • Checking your blood sugar levels — While it depends on how well your dentist is equipped, some dentists could offer diabetes tests in their clinics during your routine dental visits

Why is it Important to Build a Long-term Relationship With My Dentist?

Building a long-term and trustworthy relationship with your dentist can help you and your loved ones stay on top of their dental and oral health. Listed below are some of the valuable benefits of building a long-term relationship with your family dentist:

  • Better-tailored treatment plans
  • Improved comfort and familiarity with expected treatments or services
  • Faster dental care and improved results
  • You will receive preventative care because your dentist can monitor your dental and oral health
  • You will receive better referrals whenever necessary

Find a Dentist Near Me

While flossing and brushing your teeth daily and practicing other oral and dental hygiene practices are essential, the benefits of keeping up with your routine dental appointments every six months cannot be overlooked.

If you are looking for a reliable dentist for your and your family's routine dental appointments, our credible dentists at Beach Dental Care Anaheim are here to offer the necessary assistance. Call us at 714-995-4000 to schedule your first appointment with us today.