Even nervous patients tend not to mind too much when it comes time for a basic check up appointment. They may be a little concerned that a treatment might be needed eventually but they can be reasonably assured that any treatment required is unlikely to be carried out on that day. The flipside of this though is that some people tend to not give these appointments the importance that they deserve and might be tempted to cancel it if it proves inconvenient, perhaps clashing with a social event. In some cases, these cancelled appointments are never re-made.
The fact is that check up appointments are important, even though no work is carried out at the time. They are essential for monitoring the health of your teeth and gums and could, potentially, even save you from some serious health issues as we will see shortly.
Let us take a look then at why you should always keep your check up appointments at the Clarence Dental Practice in Staines, and if you do have to genuinely cancel, why you should re-arrange at the same time so that you don’t forget to.
The most obvious reason for check ups is to monitor your teeth and gums and to keep an eye on any potential issues that arise. By doing this, we can hopefully detect any problems that need to be treated, at an early stage. Our aim is always to prevent any problem rather than simply treat them. If we notice early warning signs of something that isn’t a problem yet but could be if it continues, it allows us to offer advice to the patient so that they can hopefully prevent the issue from becoming problematic.
An example of this might be if we detect early signs of eroded tooth enamel. Your Staines dentist will offer advice such as reducing the consumption of high sugar drinks that can cause this. It also allows us to step in early and treat a problem as early as possible.
Not only do we look at potential problems with your teeth, such as the presence of cavities, but also your gums too. Gum health is important and sometimes understated. Gum disease is one of the leading causes of tooth loss in the UK despite the fact that it is relatively easily prevented if it is caught early on. If we see signs such as inflamed gums, bad breath or bleeding, we will recommend that you see the dental hygienist if you don’t already do so.
This is something that every patient should do as it enables them to not only monitor your gums but to provide you with a ‘scale and polish’, a non-invasive cleaning of the teeth and gum line on a regular basis. They will also be able to offer gum health advice including how to use floss effectively and how your diet and habits such as smoking can impact your gums, allowing you to make some lifestyle changes.
If a problem is detected in its early stages, the likelihood is that it will require less extensive treatment than if it is left to worsen. A small filling will, for example, preserve more of the natural tooth than if it is left for a while and a crown is then needed to restore the tooth. A tooth that requires a crown will preserve more of the tooth than if it needs to be extracted etc. Similarly, the same applies to cost, a filling costs less than a crown, a crown costs less than a dental implant etc. it makes sense then, to detect and treat problems early on so that as much of the natural tooth can be saved and will save you some money into the bargain as well.
We mentioned earlier about how check ups can help to prevent potentially serious health issues. It should be borne in mind that we are not doctors and we can’t diagnose medical issues, but by regularly monitoring the oral cavity, we may detect things that don’t seem quite right. For example, some gum health issues might potentially indicate the presence of diabetes. Lesions and lumps etc could even indicate that oral cancer could be a problem. In cases such as this, we are likely to refer you to your GP for further investigation. In most cases, it is likely that there will be other reasons for this, but it always pays to have it checked as early as possible. The sooner that treatment starts (if needed of course), the better the outcome usually is.
If you live in the Staines area and don’t have a dental check up appointment made, or if you have previously cancelled and forget to re-arrange, why not contact us today to book yours. You can do this by calling the Clarence Dental Practice on 01784 463695 and speaking to one of our friendly reception team who will be able to arrange a convenient appointment time for you.
Address: 21a Clarence Street, Staines upon Thames, Surrey, TW18 4SU
Location Map
