“I just don’t have time.”
“I really can’t afford it right now.”
“There’s nothing wrong with my teeth.”
These are the most common excuses given for delaying or avoiding preventive dental appointments. Unfortunately, this approach to oral health can have long-term consequences far more devastating than missing a few hours from work or skipping your $5 Frappuccino fix to save a few bucks. Astoria, NY dentist Dr. Jeffrey Leibowitz encourages you to schedule a dental exam and teeth cleaning at least once every six months, citing four essential benefits of doing so.
Spend Some to Save a Ton
Your copay seems like a small price to pay when you consider how much money preventive dentistry saves you in the long run. When you visit your dentist, he will thoroughly examine your teeth, gums, and jaw to evaluate your overall oral health. As with nearly any medical concern, early detection can improve treatment outcomes and help avoid the need for more costly, invasive procedures. Think about what happens when you get a cavity. The longer you go without receiving a filling, the more damage the tooth sustains. Eventually, the tooth may become infected, requiring a root canal followed by placement of a dental crown. Which sounds more reasonable? A filling or a root canal?
Keep Your Teeth
It’s a common misconception that all adults lose their teeth when they age, when periodontal disease is actually the most prevalent cause. So you can no longer assume that because you are young, you are not at risk of developing gum disease. In fact, between 15 and 20 percent of those aged 35-34 have advanced gum disease. In its earliest stage, called gingivitis, the disease is painless and produces symptoms such as bleeding gums, bad breath, receding gums, and inflamed, tender gum tissue. The damages are reversible at this point, but the same cannot be said once the disease progresses, leading to tooth loss. Your Astoria dentist will screen you during your exam.
Oral Cancer Screening
Stealthier and more deadly than periodontal disease, oral cancer claims thousands of lives each year. Unless detected early on, oral cancer has devastating effects on quality of life and life expectancy. Few patients recognize the symptoms, which include patches of red or pink tissue within the mouth and sores that do not heal. This is particularly important for those who use tobacco or drink excessive alcohol, both of which significantly increase risk of oral cancer.
A Learning Experience
If the eyes are the windows to the soul, your mouth is the window to your general health. Anemia, diabetes, and celiac disease are just a few common systemic diseases that manifest as oral health problems. Research links gum to disease with everything from osteoporosis, low birth weight, and even stroke. It isn’t uncommon for dentists to notice telltale symptoms of these conditions before the patient is aware of the condition.
Your dental exam is an ideal time in which you and your dentist can discuss any questions, concerns, and symptoms about your oral health, and not just your teeth. For example, you may wonder how your diet or lifestyle choices affect your teeth and gums, or why you have mysterious pains and popping sounds emanating from your jaw.
When was your last dental exam in Astoria, NY? To learn more about dental checkups, or to schedule an appointment with Dr. Jeffrey Leibowitz, contact us at (718) 728-8230. We welcome patients living in Astoria, Queens, NYC, upstate New York, and New Jersey.
