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When your schedule and to-do list are already full, you don’t want to add anything extra. For many people, this includes seemingly unnecessary visits to the dentist every six months. Isn’t brushing and flossing twice a day enough to keep your mouth healthy?
Though cleanings occur at these appointments, the benefits go beyond keeping your teeth pearly white. Six-month exams are critical for both your dental and general health.
3 Key Benefits of Six-Month Exams
Brushing and flossing each day are vital to keeping many issues at bay, but they aren’t always as effective as you would like them to be. Unfortunately, it can be difficult to see the dangers that lurk in your own mouth, especially without the proper equipment.
Dental exams involve X-rays that help more easily identify troubled areas. The exams also allow your dentist a thorough look inside your mouth, especially in the areas that can be difficult to see in your bathroom mirror. This comprehensive exam in addition to the cleaning provides the following benefits.
1. Regular Cleanings Prevent Plaque Buildup
Plaque is a sticky substance that holds tight to your teeth and is very difficult to remove completely with brushing alone. Additionally, brushing can often push plaque up into the gum line. When it builds up, it can lead to discolored teeth, cavities, and gum disease. Your dental team can remove any plaque leftover from your regular care with the most effective tools and techniques.
2. Six-Month Exams Can Save Your Life
Among the many things a dentist looks for during your exams is any signs of oral cancer. Too often, people lose their lives to cancer, but it’s not because they don’t care or don’t fight. It’s because they don’t know until it’s too late. Regular exams provide an opportunity to detect and treat oral cancer in the earliest stages, which increases the likelihood of a successful outcome.
In addition to oral cancer, infections and abscesses can be detected and treated early. This is critical, as well, because they not only cause a great deal of pain. They are potentially life-threatening. The earlier treatment begins, the better.
3. Regular Exams Can Save You Money
Six-month exams give your dentist the opportunity to prevent oral health issues, which can keep you from needing to spend unnecessary money on expensive treatments.
Though prices can vary depending on your location and provider, one thing is the same across the dental care board. Cleanings and preventative care are less expensive than treatment and repairs. Even having a tooth pulled or repaired can cost several hundred dollars to several thousand dollars, depending on the severity of the issue. Therefore, it is easier just to stay on top of your dental visits.
Preventative Care and Early Detection Are Essential
As frustrating as it might be to keep your six-month appointments, especially when you already have so many other things to do, they should remain a top priority. Routine preventative care can play an integral role in saving your bank account, preventing unnecessary pain, and even saving your life.
