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There is a reason the American Dental Association recommends visiting your dentist every 6 months for a regular cleaning and checkup. But for one reason or another, you may be tempted to skip a dental appointment. It might seem harmless, but it can result in more trouble than you think. Here are 3 reasons you should do your best to always keep your dental appointments.

Tooth Decay

A tiny speck of decay in your enamel can rapidly grow into a large hole if it’s not treated in a timely manner. Locating and fixing any spots of decay in your smile before it gets too large means your treatment will be much less painful and less expensive. But the longer your cavity goes untreated, the worse your tooth will get. It could cause your tooth to break or crack or possibly require a root canal!

Gum Disease

Regular cleanings remove bacteria and tartar from your teeth and below your gum line. Dental infections are caused by an overgrowth of bacteria under the gum line and can result in swollen, bleeding gums known as gingivitis, the only reversible stage of gum disease. As the infection grows, bacteria begin to eat away at your gum tissue, causing your gums to recede and develop pockets that houses even more bacteria that bores through the gums and causes the jawbone to start to deteriorate. Once the bone is gone, it cannot grow back. Without the stability of the jawbone, the teeth will eventually fall out.

Early Diagnosis

Any dental appointment could provide the opportunity to diagnosis serious health conditions before they cause too much damage to your mouth and body. Oral cancer, diabetes and dementia can all be caught early by your dentist. Some issues like swollen or bleeding gums or loose teeth you may notice yourself but there are many symptoms you may not notice. Heavy buildup of plaque and calculus, lesions in the back of the throat or ulcers that never seem to heal are all symptoms that will alert your dentist of any issues that may be lurking within your body. The earlier they are found, the more likely it is that you can minimize or eliminate the effects.

Regular dental checkups can protect more than just your teeth. A healthy diet and proper dental care routine are important for your oral health, but visiting your dentist at least twice a year can help keep you aware of any possible problems that could progress into serious health issues.