You received an appointment reminder from your dentist for your semi-annual exam, but your teeth feel fine, and you don't know how you're going to find an hour or more in your busy schedule anyway. So, you put off the appointment - for now - and decide to wait until you feel the need to check in on your oral health.
The mistake is in thinking that your oral health is in good shape just because your teeth feel okay. Dental problems don't just appear full-blown one day but develop silently behind the scenes. Before you know it, you're in pain, which could have easily been avoided if you had just followed through with preventive exams and cleanings.
How Preventive Dental Exams Benefit You
If you're still on the fence about the importance of dental exams, here are five more reasons:
- Avoid pain and discomfort - During a routine exam, your dental professional looks for signs of gum disease and decay with a visual exam or a digital x-ray. Finding and fixing problems early helps you avoid discomfort and typically results in improved long-term outcomes.
- Spend less time in the dental chair - This should be a simple choice; would you rather sit for an hour and have your teeth examined or wait and face time-consuming, complicated procedures like root canals and extractions?
- Save money on complex treatments - The sooner we address problems, the more conservative we can be with treatments that protect your oral health. For instance, instead of waiting until a tooth is so damaged that you need a crown to repair it, filling a small cavity now will save you the expense later.
- Protect your restorations - A typical emergency involves replacing a lost crown or filling. But keeping up with routine exams allows your dentist to check the condition of crowns and fillings and potentially save you an emergency visit.
- Keep you safe with oral cancer screenings - Oral cancer is aggressive, so it's vitally important to find it in its early stages. Your routine screenings allow your dentist to look for abnormalities and refer you for a biopsy if warranted. In this way, your preventive dental exams can possibly save your life.
Please Call to Schedule Your Exam
If it's time for your next dental exam in Birmingham, please call Cook Family Dental. We will get you scheduled and on your way to a healthy, problem-free smile.