Visiting the dentist regularly for checkups and cleanings is essential for detecting problems in the early stages before they become complex and costly to treat. But some patients skip appointments, not understanding the value of preventive dental care. At our Lethbridge clinic, we emphasize early intervention and routine care to stop issues before they start or progress.

In this article, we’ll explain the benefits of visiting our dentists and hygienists twice yearly even if you don’t have obvious symptoms of oral disease. Partnering with our team for prevention optimizes your oral and overall health.

Professional Cleaning

Daily brushing and flossing simply can’t remove all the plaque and tartar that accumulate. This sticky film of bacteria steadily builds up on teeth and below the gum line. Our hygienists use specialized tools to thoroughly clean areas that at-home oral hygiene can’t reach. Professional cleaning removes hardened tartar, stains, and plaque helping prevent cavities, inflamed gums, bad breath and more.

Detecting Dental Disease Early

Your teeth may feel fine, but hidden issues could be brewing. Early cavity formation, small cracks, gum disease in initial stages – these problems exhibit no warning signs yet but worsen over time. During your checkup, we perform a complete exam looking for signs of decay and disease, often before they are visible to the naked eye or apparent in x-rays. Detecting issues early allows for minimally invasive treatment.

Assessing Risk Factors

Your lifestyle habits, health conditions, family history, and other factors determine your risk for certain dental diseases. We evaluate your unique risk factors at routine visits. Things like diet, medications, drug/alcohol use, clenching/grinding, smoking, and chronic conditions can impact oral health in subtle ways. Developing a customized preventive plan targets your specific risks.

Professional Polishing

The enamel of your teeth can gradually accumulate surface stains over time from coffee, tea, wine and smoking. These also make teeth appear more yellow. Our hygienists will thoroughly polish and buff your teeth to remove dullness and surface stains for a brighter whiter smile. We can also recommend professional whitening if desired.

Oral Cancer Screening

Routine oral cancer screenings check for signs of cancerous or precancerous lesions. Early detection of oral cancer is critical for successful treatment. We examine your face, neck, lips, tongue, gums and throat at checkup visits looking for unusual color changes, sores that won’t heal, and lumps. An average of 1 in 4 oral cancers are found in people with no risk factors.

Radiographic Diagnosis

X-rays and other imaging like CT scans allow us to see below the surfaces for cavities between teeth, bone loss from gum disease, cysts, tumors and other issues. Checkups usually include thorough intraoral x-rays. Your risk factors determine if additional views are needed to look for problems. Imaging can also assess tooth root health and catch small problems before they are visible.

With regular 6 month checkups and cleanings, problems can be detected and treated early before they become emergencies. Monitoring your oral health helps minimize extensive, complex treatments. Partner with our Lethbridge dental team to optimize prevention and maintain your oral wellbeing for life.

Website:- https://www.absolutedental.ca/