Most people don’t enjoy visiting the dentist, we get it. But keeping up with your oral care habits is more important than you might think, and letting those dental appointments and at home care fall behind is a big deal. Here’s some of the most common misconceptions about dental care:
Flossing isn’t as important: It’s very common for people to leave flossing out of their daily oral care routine, even though dentists have pushed it for probably your entire life. Flossing takes a little more time, but it cleans your teeth in a way that brushing simply can’t do. By removing the food particles between your teeth, you’ll be able to better prevent plaque buildup and decay over time.
Gum disease is rare: Gum disease is something that we all need to worry about. It can occur even in patients who practice good at home care techniques, and preventing the condition means visiting your dentist regularly. If gum disease starts to form in your mouth, your dentist will be able to treat it before it worsens if you keep up with those six-month checkups. Gum disease is linked to many health conditions, and treatments can become expensive if you don’t catch it quickly.
Oral health and overall health: When you think about your teeth and gums, it’s common to think that oral health only affects oral health. However in reality, oral health has been linked to many more serious health conditions including heart disease, pregnancy complications, dementia, respiratory diseases, and more. It’s worth any time you need to put in for your oral heath to reduce your risk of any of these conditions down the road.
No pain, no problems: Many patients don’t visit the dentist regularly simply because they don’t have any oral pain, so they think everything must be fine. However, many oral health issues can occur without any pain, and will worsen if they are not treated in a timely manner. For example, cavities are often not going to cause any pain, but if left untreated, the decay will worsen and can become a root canal. Not only is the treatment much more expensive, but the condition CAN then become painful, and it can be completely avoided with quick treatment.
Visiting the dentist is more important than you might think, and working with a great dentist can make the whole experience much easier.
Dentist Anchorage AK
If you have any questions, or if you’d like to schedule an appointment with our dentist, contact us today for more information! We look forward to helping you keep a healthy mouth!