Why Prevention Is So Important
“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!”
It may be tempting to put off going to the dentist, especially if you feel there’s nothing wrong. After all, what’s the harm in skipping a cleaning appointment every once in a while? Well, as the old saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure! That means it’s much easier and less costly to catch minor problems early on rather than fixing more severe issues later.
That is absolutely true in dentistry and one of the reasons why you should not skip your routine cleaning appointments.
More than just a cleaning…
During an appointment, we clean your teeth (of course). But, we are also providing a thorough examination of your mouth to check for potential problems. As well as tooth decay and gum disease, it also gives us the opportunity to look for indicators of more severe problems. Many diseases, such as AIDS, diabetes, leukemia, and other cancers, may have early warning signs that appear in the mouth. (Don’t worry, many of these conditions are relatively rare. Just rest assured that we are here to look out for your health!)
We also use X-rays to peer into the inner workings of your mouth, allowing us to monitor the health of your bones as well as the interior of teeth, which would be impossible with the naked eye alone.
And, even if we don’t find a cavity or other dental problem, we can point out areas in the mouth where buildup occurs and where you may need to do a better job brushing and flossing.
So you see, a dental checkup is essential for proper prevention. We look forward to seeing you soon!
