As grandma always used to say, some people just don’t believe fat meat is greasy. Many people don’t really think they need to go to the dentist regularly. Young people in particular, in fact, commonly find themselves under the impression that dentistry is the type of healthcare without which they can skate by. The truth is that there are loads of reasons why dental hygiene might be the last routine you want to nix from your life. More importantly, there are just as many reasons why you should schedule a visit as soon as possible if you haven’t regularly been in attendance.
Tooth Decay
If you’re not going to the dentist regularly, it’s not unreasonable to think that one of the things you might not want to talk about right now is tooth decay, not necessarily because it’s already plaguing your cavity- and gingivitis-ridden jaw but because you’re at least aware that it is an ever present reality skulking on the outskirts of your future.
Now, here’s the thing. There are less expensive ways to ward off tooth decay than going to the dentist. Actually, brushing your teeth properly is one of the best ways to accomplish this. You’re going to want to make sure that you brush your teeth extremely well every day and then floss your teeth with the same immaculate precision at the same frequency. The problem is that tooth decay is actually happening extremely gradually at all times, and you reverse the process with your habits, assuming those habits are up to par. The reason this is such a problem is that, in order to truly stave off something that looms this real, you would have to change your toothbrush far more than you’re willing to change it, and you’d have to both brush and floss with the dentist’s touch. These things alone are things that you simply won’t do on your own either because you can’t or because you won’t.
As such, this is why you need to go to the dentist at least twice a year. The cleaning that the dentist does truly yields superb oral health. What we’re really talking about here is preventative dental care, and in order for your teeth to be healthy as well as look healthy, you’ll need professional cleanings and fluoride treatments, not to mention regular exams each year.
Bloody Gums
No, this is not just a British phrase one might say if one was mad at his or her gums; rather, you’ve probably noticed multiple times in your life by now, assuming you’re old enough to read this article for yourself, that from time to time you brush your teeth and cause your gums to bleed. When you spit into the sink, you likely observe blood mixed in with your toothpaste, which you could swear didn’t have any red in it. If you’re seeing blood, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you should be alarmed at all; however, if you see blood and you haven’t been to the dentist in a long time, it really could be any of a plethora of problems. In other words, you should definitely see your dentist to make sure you’re not dying of an extraterrestrial disease.
No matter what, of course, your dentist is going to tell you there’s nothing fatal or alien about what’s going on your mouth because he or she simply isn’t privy to what we Area 51 aficionados know. Even so, there is a chance that your dentist will tell you that you’re simply brushing and flossing improperly. These things can harm the gums if you’re just savage about oral hygiene in the mornings and nights; however, the dentist may just as likely inform you that the blood coming from your gums when you brush is actually a sign of a serious medical condition at play. Most of the time, you can attribute bleeding gums to the buildup of plaque and the insufficient attempts to remove it. It probably won’t surprise you to know, though, that the dentist is the best person you can find to regularly ensure that your plaque doesn’t build up to such levels in the first place.
