Why Regular Dental Exams Matter for Long Term Health

It’s a brand new year and the perfect time for a PSA (public service announcement) from your friendly, Guildford-neighbourhood dentist in Surrey: Dental exams matter!

We don’t say that simply because we like to see you–because we do! However there are some very good reasons to get regular dental checkups. For instance, we’ll catch emerging issues quickly so small problems stay small; we take preventative measures to ward off future issues; and we keep an eye out for more serious concerns like oral cancers.

Benefits of regular dental checkups for Surrey patients

• Keep issues small
• Take steps to prevent issues from happening
• Early detection of oral cancers

Keep issues small

Life hack: see your dentist when problems are small! Small problems are much easier, faster, and cheaper to deal with. 

For instance, cavities are holes in your teeth. They’re caused by decay, where the acids produced by bacteria eat through the enamel of your tooth. Fillings are our first line of defence when cavities are small (because they were caught early). If treatment is delayed and the hole gets too big, we have to use more invasive techniques like inlays, onlays, crowns, & root canals.

Additionally, an untreated tooth infection can spread to the other parts of your body like your blood, heart and brain. I had a family member get sepsis from a tooth infection. They spent a week in hospital which was worrisome because they’re elderly and sepsis is a potentially fatal condition. Fortunately they recovered. Tooth infections can be identified during routine exams.

Preventative steps

• X-rays
• Professional cleaning
• Fluoride treatment
• Sealants
• Nightguards
• Orthodontics
• Specialist referrals

Preventative steps help to stop problems as well as alert your dentist to potential problems in the future. Dental x-rays are a good example of this. They show hidden areas of decay that are hard to see by eye. This is particularly useful for monitoring between teeth, and when older dental work isn’t sealing properly any longer and bacteria have gotten in underneath. X-rays also show impacted teeth below the gumline, which happens very commonly with wisdom teeth.

Other preventative measures include professional cleaning, fluoride treatments, sealants, nightguards, orthodontics and referrals to other specialists when necessary.

Early detection

Oral cancer can be found in your tongue, palate, gums, lips, salivary glands, throat and other mouth-related tissues. It can spread to your jaw and other places in your body. Each type may present with different symptoms, so the best way to spot oral cancer is through changes in the mouth. Early stages, which are most easily treatable, can be hard to spot yourself. However, regular dental exams allow your dentist to monitor specifically for these kinds of changes.

We recommend getting a dental checkup one to two times a year. So if your teeth are due, and you’re in Surrey, a dental exam appointment is just a phone call away at 604-584-2535. We hope to see you soon!

Riverside Heights Dental Centre in North Surrey, near the Guildford Mall & Fraser Heights, has been in the community since 1981. Come say hi!