Why are regular dental checkups important?

Some 100 million Americans fail to see a dentist each year, even though regular dental examinations and good oral hygiene can prevent most dental disease. Oral health touches every aspect of our lives but is often taken for granted. During a dental visit, your teeth will be cleaned, your dentist will check the teeth, gums and tongue, and check for any other oral health problems. Your mouth is a window into the health of your body, and dentists can often spot other problems.

 

The classic dental hygiene appointment of the past is so much more today than just cleaning your teeth. The truth is, the average person visits their dentist and hygienist more often than they go in for a preventative medical checkup. We now know there is a direct connection between oral health and overall health. Your dental visit and hygiene appointment is one you do not want to miss. It’s important for you to know that what gets discovered at your routine dental cleaning can also save your life.

We know there is a connection between inflammation in the mouth and inflammation in the body, and when this goes unchecked, this shows up in the form of heart disease, stroke, and other chronic inflammatory diseases.

In my dental practice in New York City and other dental offices throughout the country, we optimize your hour spent with the hygienist and dentist with oral cancer screenings, periodontal exams performed with the latest technology to check the health of the gums, nutritional assessments and digital X-rays to check the hard tissues of the mouth, teeth and bone around the teeth. In my opinion, the hygienist has now become the oral health coach, educating and working along with the dentist to protect, prevent and detect disease and offer advice on how to maintain a healthy mouth, a smart nutritional focus, great hygiene and overall well-being.