You consider yourself a healthy person. You exercise, take vitamins, and try to maintain a somewhat healthy diet. You visit your physician for regular yearly checkups. Any issues that have cropped up have been taken care of, and you’ve adjusted your routine accordingly.
One trip you don’t always make a priority is the one to the family dentist in Cary, NC. You brush and floss and have had no issues thus far. Is it vital to go if you haven’t had any pain or discomfort? When scheduling your yearly medical exam, you do not want to skip the trip to the dentist. It can help keep your health in check more than you think.
Silent Destruction
You remember being taught how to brush and floss when you were a kid, and you believe you have maintained a great at-home oral routine. Your teeth are fairly white, and you don’t feel like there is any reason to climb in the dental chair. However, what you don’t know is that bacteria may silently be gnawing away at your teeth. While you may have a healthy routine, there is a chance that you haven’t been able to get everything off your teeth. The stickiness of sugar helps bacteria adhere to your teeth, and if not swept away swiftly, it will start to cause problems.
Cavities and Gum Disease
Cavities are holes that form in teeth when bacteria make their way through the enamel. You typically don’t know you have a cavity until the bacteria makes its way down deep into the tooth and affects the nerve. At this point, you may be facing more extensive remedies than just a filling. You may need antibiotics and a procedure called a root canal to clean out the infected pulp.
Gum disease also develops slowly and is the result of the same bacteria that causes cavities. Gum disease is usually visible. You may start to notice that the gums directly around the teeth are red. You may experience bleeding when you brush. If you don’t receive treatment from a family dentist in Cary, NC, however, the gums may start to pull away from the teeth, leaving dangerous gaps. These openings allow germs and bacteria to work in under the teeth and may result in internal illnesses.
Learn How We Can Help You!
When it comes to your teeth, you may feel like you have your hygiene under control. Because of this, you may have a false sense of having healthy teeth when in fact bacteria is causing irreversible damage. This is especially hard for younger children to understand because they may not be aware of how to properly clean their teeth or they may be too young to understand. If you would like to take your children to a local family dentist who understands how to work with children of all ages while taking care of their oral hygiene, give our office a call.