Is Brushing Enough? Why Regular Checkups With Your Dental Hygienist Can Save Your Life
Have you ever wondered about what good dental hygiene really means for your overall health?
If your answer is no, then it’s about time you did.
A number of studies conducted around the world revealed that there is a direct link between poor oral health and high mortality rates. Bad dental hygiene increases your mortality risk by 40%. This means that your chances of dying from a stroke, diabetes, cancer, or cardiovascular disease will significantly decrease if you brush twice daily, floss, or regularly visit a dental hygienist.
The role your dental hygienist plays in helping you maintain good oral hygiene is a critical one, so you shouldn’t neglect to schedule regular visits.
What exactly does your dental hygienist do and why is this role essential to maintaining good oral health?
Your dental hygienist:
- Conducts oral hygiene examinations — regular dental check-ups are a good way of detecting and preventing any problems with your oral hygiene. Your dental hygenist will examine your mouth and assess what needs to be done.
- Performs teeth cleaning — Like it or not, as much as we brush and floss some plaque or bacteria get away from us. These stubborn elements can only be removed with the professional tools of a dental hygienist!
- X-rays your teeth — Some oral health problems we have are not in plain sight and may need an x-ray. Your dental hygienist will take care of this.
- Refers you to a dentist or periodontist if anything that needs further treatment is detected — The duties your dental hygienist performs are limited. If they discover anything that’s out of their scope of treatment they’ll refer you to a dentist or periodontist who is licensed to perform oral surgeries.
- Offers treatment for and guidance on how to avoid periodontal or gum disease — A dental hygenist is trained to educate patients on preventative measures and treatment for gum disease. Going to a dental hygenist can help you to save money on treatments that you may possibly never use.
Regular visits to your dental hygienist can save you a trip to a dentist for a more serious problem later on, such as tooth decay. Because your dental hygienist performs regular checkups and can detect signs of gum disease or other problems, you can nip a bigger problem in the bud if any red flags come up during your examination.
Undetected and untreated oral health problems can cause bacteria to move into your bloodstream and travel to other parts of the body such as the heart valves and increase your risk for a heart attack.
If you want to live a long, healthy life, you should pay more attention to your oral health and make regular visits to your dental hygienist a priority!
