What Can Your Dental Examination Tell You?
Without pain, many people find it easy to skip dental examinations and visits; that could be a mistake. Dental exams can provide you with information you need about your health, such as the details below.
You Might Have a Few Cavities
Typically, a cavity won't even cause any pain until a nerve is exposed or there is a bacterial infection. You could have at least one or two cavities without realizing it. Instead of waiting to wake up in the middle of the night with a gnawing pain, it probably makes more sense to keep your regularly scheduled visits to the dentist.
You Want Brighter Teeth
You may have already started whitening your teeth with mouthwashes, special toothpastes, and whitening kits. However, if you're using these products, it's important for you to have an exam done on your teeth. The products can wear down the enamel on the surface of each tooth, and that can result in sensitivity that makes eating and drinking uncomfortable. Your dentist can talk with you about how whitening products have affected your teeth and may offer their own office whitening services that can provide better results without harming your teeth.
Your Gums May Be Diseased
Your teeth might be fine, but you could be having issues with your gums without knowing. For a lot of people, bleeding gums seems normal every now and then, especially if there's no pain. However, that could be a signal of periodontal (gum) disease. Typically, root planing and scaling will be done; it's a process completed over the course of a few visits, entailing a deep cleaning below the visible gum line so that plaque trapped near the gums can be removed.
Your Dentist Can Notice Signs of Overall Health Issues That Need Attention
Obviously, your dentist's specialty is the care of the teeth and gums. However, other health conditions that seem to have nothing to do with oral health can manifest themselves in ways that your dental professional will notice. For example, if you have undiagnosed diabetes, there could be dental signals. Dry mouth and bleeding gums have been linked to diabetes, and even if you don't know that, your dentist will. Your dentist is likely to refer you back to your primary physician for more care if they notice anything unusual. Should you miss your dental examination, there's no telling when you'll go to a physician for an issue that your dentist could have warned you about.
For these reasons and others, getting to your dental exams should be something that you're eager to do. Talk more with your dentist about all the services they can offer you.
