The American Dental Association recommends seeing your dentist every six months for routine exams and cleanings. These visits allow your oral health professional to carefully examine and clean your teeth, address any problems in their early stages, and advise you as to better oral care habits you can practice at home. However, your dental appointments also give you an excellent opportunity to ask your dentist any questions you have about keeping your teeth healthy. Here are a few great queries for your next checkup.
What Is Causing This Discomfort or Discoloration?
Dental discomfort and enamel discoloration are often signs of underlying oral health problems, and bringing these issues to your dentist’s attention can help you avoid unpleasant consequences. Dental sensitivity in just one or two teeth may be a sign of an unseen infection, and stains or discoloration may be the result of frequent exposure to tarnishing substances like acid. Your dentist will be able to find a suitable treatment for these issues and help you understand how you can prevent them.
How Is My Diet Affecting My Oral Health?
One’s decisions about what they eat and drink can set them up for many years of excellent oral health or unsightly stains and preventable dental emergencies. Your dentist will probably offer tips like minimizing your intake of sugars and acids and enjoying plenty of fibrous raw fruits and veggies. Crunchy plant material like apples, carrots, and celery is firm enough to scrape away harmful plaque and food debris and soft enough to be harmless to the enamel, so your dentist will probably be pleased if you decide to eat more of them.
What Cosmetic Dental Treatments Can Help Me?
Cosmetic dentistry has allowed countless patients to achieve more beautiful smiles, and virtually everyone can qualify for at least one aesthetic treatment for their teeth. However, cosmetic dental treatments almost always require patients to be free from tooth decay and gum disease, but these issues can usually be addressed with restorative work so aesthetic procedures can be performed later. Once you are ready, your dentist will be able to determine the best cosmetic treatment for you based on your oral health, goals, and budget.
Don’t let your next dental checkup go by without learning something new about how you can take better care of your oral health. Heeding your dentist’s advice can allow you to keep your teeth gorgeous and functional for many years to come.
About the Author
Dr. Jeff Yenzer earned his dental degree at the University of Missouri in Kansas City and has received advanced training in fields like endodontics, cosmetic dentistry, and dental implants. His office in Chesterfield offers general, restorative, cosmetic, and emergency dentistry. To schedule your next checkup, contact his practice on the web or dial (636) 778-3019.