Your oral and dental health can have a major impact on your total health and well being. Different stages of life require different dental hygiene methods along with different types of dental treatment. However, one factor is common to all, irrespective of their age, and this is regular visits to a dental hygienist for your oral health and a dentist for your dental health.
Why Regular Checkups?
The first step to good oral health is to know how to look after your teeth and gums. A dental hygienist will check, show and if required carry out procedures to deep clean your teeth and gums. Dentists, on the other hand, will check your teeth and treat any dental problems that are affecting you. Your gums and teeth change as you grow older, and numerous problems can occur with them. Ignoring or leaving the problem untreated could result in the problem getting worse and more difficult to treat at a later stage.
Dental Hygiene
Your gums are the foundation for a healthy set of teeth. Unhealthy gums will lead to unhealthy teeth. Gum diseases include painful and/or bleeding gums, bad breath, and tooth loss. A dental hygienist not only treats gum diseases but also guides you on how to take care of your oral hygiene at home.
Inflammation of the gums usually leads to bleeding gums and is a sign of impending gum disease. The leading cause of tooth loss in adults, gum disease leads to the gums retracting and thereby exposing the roots of the tooth. This also makes the tooth loss and can result in having to remove it. However, this problem can be reversed if treated in time. Dental hygienists like those at ColumbiaRiverDentistry.com will clean the areas under the gums and around your teeth and also suggest the most appropriate mouthwash and toothpaste to help reduce the inflammation. Another problem that a dental hygienist can help you with is stained teeth. Food that we eat, stain our teeth. While most stains are removed when cleaning your mouth after eating, stains left behind by coffee, tea, wine, fizzy drinks, and smoking can be difficult to remove. It will require a visit to the dental hygienist to help remove these stains. Similarly, bacteria under your gum line can cause bad breath. Again it will require the services of a dental hygienist to help clean the gums properly.
It is recommended that everyone should visit a dental hygienist at least twice a year. Those with problems will need regular visits until the problem is solved.
Dental Health
Healthy teeth are very important for our overall health. A dentist can help you maintain and/or repair any teeth problems that you may face. Given below are the different stages of life and what the dentist can do at each stage.
Babies / Children: It is very important that babies and children are taken to the dentist regularly to check for any problems that exist or might occur in the near future. Children showing signs of orthodontic problems can be treated much easier with early detection.
Teenagers / Adults: Certain types of food that we tend to consume as teenagers can cause tooth problems. Teenagers and adults require regular visits to ensure that problems like tooth decay are treated at the earliest.
Older people: Some old people have retained their teeth and then some have lost most of them. Tooth loss does not happen just because you have grown old. For those in this age group who have lost some of their teeth, the dentist can help with implants, dentures or bridges.
Things to do Between Check-ups
You need to look after your teeth daily. Brushing and flossing your teeth twice daily will help in keeping plaque at bay. Using mouthwash helps in keeping your oral cavity-free from harmful bacteria. Remember, prevention is better than cure. Looking after your teeth and gums will ensure that you do not face problems as you age. Although our teeth and gums are generally stronger at a young age, any negligence in maintaining them will soon lead to problems that can affect your overall health in the long run.
The Bottom Line
Regular visits to the dental hygienist and dentist will ensure that your oral health is in top shape, saving you money and pain as you grow older. If you have missed out on visiting your dental hygienist and dentist, it is recommended that you make an appointment at the earliest to check if any impending problems need to be taken care of.
