Prioritizing Dental Wellness for the Whole Family
Is your family calendar for summer filling up already?
With spring behind us, it’s easy to see how we can get caught up in the hustle and bustle of summer activities. Dental health may not be a priority for you as you get swept up in planning travel, readying your home for guests and vacations.
There are some really good reasons to put dental wellness back on the list for everyone in your family. There’s no better gift than the gift of good health and dental wellness.
A quick checkup can save time down the road
Are you due for your six-month checkup? When last was your professional cleaning?
Most insurance plans cover the cost of two of these important dental visits within a calendar
year. If you’ve not yet had one this year, now is the time to schedule for everyone in your
family. These appointments are so much more than getting a deep cleaning from your dental
hygienist.
These visits play an important role in helping to keep your teeth and gums as healthy as can be.
Cavities can start small and stay pretty well hidden for a good long time. You may not even
notice that you have a cavity until it starts to become problematic. You may get a dull
toothache. Or the pain may be sudden and sharp. At that point you may be faced with the need
for root canal therapy, which is much more invasive procedure than filling a small cavity.
During your checkup your dental professionals will be able to check on the health of your teeth
and gums both. Gum disease, just like tooth decay, can start small and fast become a serious
concern.
As with many things, the earlier an issue is detected and addressed, the less opportunity there
is for it to become a more serious concern.
Use benefits available to you
Most dental insurance plans roll over at the start of a new year. If you have available
benefits on yours, you should make the most of them. If you address a few issues for the
remainder of this year, you’ll be able to start fresh and continue to keep your teeth and gums
healthy next year with the treatments or procedures you may benefit from.
If you’re not sure about what benefits you have left for the year, your friendly dental office
team can help you. You may also be able to check on your provider’s website. Be sure to make
the most of the benefits you pay for, for every person in your family.
If you need extensive work done
Related to making the most of your remaining benefits for the year, it’s important that you don’t delay getting concerns treated. We get it, it’s easy to put things off. There are school events, work events, family, and friend get-togethers. But consider the potential for further damage to a tooth that is in need of root canal therapy or a crown. You could bite down on something crunchy at a family dinner and find yourself with a tooth that cracked due to weakening from decay. If this happens when you’re out of town or over the holidays, it could take some time before you are able to get the help that you need. You could find yourself in extreme discomfort for several days at a time, which no one wants!
Get issues addressed as soon as you are able, don’t put off getting treatment. Dental concerns can worsen quite rapidly, without many symptoms. Gum disease is an excellent example of this. Many times, you won’t know that you have the early stage of gum disease, gingivitis, until your dentist or hygienist points it out during a checkup or cleaning. So, make that appointment, take the time to prioritize your dental health.
Brushing, flossing, and so much more
There’s never a wrong time to boost your knowledge of correct brushing and flossing
methods. The weeks after Halloween, when your kids may be still working their way through
their stash, are a good time, however.
When your children visit with the dentist and dental hygienist, they can learn more about how
their current brushing and flossing routine is working. If their teeth look great and they don’t
have any cavities, they need to keep up the good work! If there is room for improvement, your
children can get a few tips so they can do their best for healthy teeth.
Getting that picture-perfect smile
In another post we covered all of the steps you can take to get a picture-perfect smile for the
holidays. This is an excellent opportunity for you to schedule your consultation for any number
of cosmetic solutions. Perhaps it’s time for a professional tooth whitening treatment? Or
perhaps a home option is the better choice for your busy schedule? Whatever your decision,
you’ll love the way that just a few visits to your dental professional can transform your smile.
Oral health is connected to physical health
Do you know that the health of your teeth and your gums is connected to your
overall physical health? It’s certainly understandable to think that our oral health doesn’t
impact the health of the rest of our body. In truth, the connection may be stronger than many
realize. Gum disease alone is linked to a number of physical health concerns, including diabetes,
heart disease, respiratory disease, and osteoporosis. Studies have demonstrated that those
who have gum disease have twice the risk for heart attack. As alarming as this might be, you
can take control of your health by allowing your dentist and other dental professionals to help
keep your teeth and gums healthy.
Did you know that the health of your teeth and gums can also be an indicator of an underlying
health problem? They can potentially indicate that you have anemia, diabetes, or some forms
of oral cancer.
While it may be tempting to put off your next visit to the dentist, particularly at this time of the
year, we suggest you don’t. Certainly, we’d love to see your smiling face again, but we also
know just how important it is to take care of the health of your mouth. Contact us today and schedule your regular cleanings.
