Why it is important to visit a dentist regularly

Visiting a dentist on a periodic basis is paramount for the maintenance of proper tooth and gum health. The prevention of cavities, periodontal disease, and bad breath is achieved with oral management techniques that are affordable, simple and effective to perform on a daily basis. A dentist should be consulted every 6 months or more frequently depending on dental needs and important care efforts.

A dentist offers patients comprehensive oral healthcare services to assist in the maintenance of a cavity free smile. Advanced oral technology and individualised wellness techniques are provided according to individual requirements. The purpose of consulting with your practitioner for a regular check-up is to detect problems at the earliest stage for intervention and the prevention of poor oral health.

Dentists possess the skill and technology to examine the teeth and gums to identify cavities and other signs of disease. The oral assessment can determine tooth problems and changes in tissues indicative of significant ailments including diabetes and cancers. One of the most important steps that individuals can take to preserve the healthy condition of teeth is to visit the dental clinics regularly.

A regular check-up includes the detection of plaque, tartar and cavities responsible for tooth decay and gum disease. The formation of bacteria and a failure to remove these layers can advance oral deterioration, discoloration and decay. A failure to correct oral problems including small cavities can lead to major destruction of enamel and tissue including severe pain and tooth loss.

A dentist will advise patients on affordable and simple tips for individual healthcare maintenance to develop strong teeth and gums. Techniques introduce the correct ways of brushing and flossing to remove the accumulation of plaque and eliminate the food particles that become lodged between each tooth. This is an easy and cost effective way to prevent cavities and protect the condition of oral tissues.

Specialised tools are incorporated at the clinic to provide a professional clean and reach areas that cannot be achieved with brushing and flossing. A thorough polish and scrape of surrounding teeth will remove the toughest of plaque and tartar that have formed along the gum line. It protects against decay and stains that compromise the healthy condition of all pearly whites.

A dental clinic provides comprehensive oral care assisting in the treatment of tooth and gum ailments. A dentist must be consulted every 6 months to perform a thorough check-up and protect against the formation of cavities, plaque and bacteria. Following daily hygiene steps and visiting a dentist regularly can best protect and enhance the condition of your smile.

It's important to take care of your dental health and get it checked time to time.

How to take care of your teeth when pregnant

When you are pregnant, you are aware of the fact that you have to eat nutritious foods and take folic acid supplements to keep you and your baby healthy. However, many pregnant women forget that it is necessary to protect your gums and teeth from periodontal disease and other diseases during this period. You may be surprised to know but it is true that poor oral health can have an adverse effect not just on your health, but also on the developing baby. 

Why is dental care important during pregnancy?

Pregnant women are prone to various dental problems. Morning sickness bothers many women in the first few months of pregnancy. Frequent vomiting due to morning sickness is bad for the teeth as the topmost layer of the enamel gets eroded by stomach acids. As a result, the teeth become sensitive and prone to decay. Then, rising levels of pregnancy hormones make the gum tissues susceptible to bacterial infection. This condition is referred to as 'pregnancy gingivitis' and it has some annoying symptoms like bleeding gums, inflammation and tenderness in gums, bad breath, etc. The bacteria that attack the gums may reach the uterus through the bloodstream and cause complications like miscarriage, premature labour or low birth weight of the baby. To prevent all such consequences, proper dental care is a must during pregnancy. 

Basic dental care during pregnancy

You do not want a gum infection or toothache during pregnancy because of the discomfort associated with it. So, to prevent such an occurrence, you should remember some points on dental care during pregnancy. They are as follows: 

1. Maintain a Good Care Regime: Brush your teeth twice a day to clean up plaque build-up and food particles from the teeth. Use a soft bristled toothbrush and toothpaste with fluoride content for regular brushing of the teeth. You must brush for two minutes and do not forget to brush the gums as well. This will reduce the chances of gingival problems to a great extent. You must also floss once daily in order to take out the food debris that is stuck in between the teeth that cannot be removed by brushing alone.
2. Fight Off the Effects of Morning Sickness: Rinse your mouth with water soon after vomiting but do not brush the teeth immediately as the weak enamel may wear out. Rather, rinsing your mouth with a sodium bicarbonate solution is more beneficial as it will neutralise the effects of acidic components inside the mouth. Some women experience nausea while brushing teeth with regular toothpaste. They should use a bland tasting toothpaste to tackle the problem.
3. Look for Signs of Gum Problems: Examine your gums regularly to find out if there is inflammation, tenderness or gum bleeding. These are all indications that the gums are not in a healthy state. In that case, you must talk to your dentist about the treatment options. Some women get painless red lumps called 'pregnancy tumours' in the gums, which are not serious and are non-cancerous. A few rounds of cleaning of the excess plaque build-up during second or early trimester usually reduces such swellings and they disappear completely after delivery.
4. Go for a Dental Check-up: Many pregnant women tend to miss appointments with the dentist when they are pregnant. However, it is a wrong practice. Rather, they should visit their dentist and take suitable instructions from them to keep their teeth and gum free from diseases throughout the pregnancy. Moreover, a thorough professional cleaning of the teeth at the early stage of pregnancy reduces the chances of dental problems at a later stage. Continue with the follow-up visits to your dentist as per the schedule.
5. Eat Healthy Foods: You must follow a healthy and balanced diet, which consists of plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables that supply you with vitamins A, C and D, which are good for oral health. Besides, minerals like calcium are particularly essential for proper development of the unborn baby's teeth, which usually begins to grow after six weeks of pregnancy. Intake of calcium rich foods like dairy products, cheese, yogurt, etc., will help in developing the teeth and gums in the baby properly.
6. Stay Away from Sugary Foods: Many women crave for sweets during pregnancy. If you eat sugary foods, make sure you brush your teeth soon after. However, it is better to avoid such foods as much as possible as it can cause tooth decay and cavities. As a result, you may suffer from toothache. There is nothing more annoying than having a toothache during pregnancy. This is because managing this pain is quite difficult at this point of time as many of the medicines or procedures that are used for the treating toothache are not safe for the baby.
7. Stop Smoking: If you are a smoker, then you must quit smoking immediately. There are several hazards of smoking during pregnancy. One of them is that it aggravates the condition of a gum disease.

Dental care will minimise the chances of any major dental problems. However, if you are suffering from toothache or gum pain, then you must visit the dentist as early as possible. Inform them that you are pregnant. Tell them about all the medicines that you are taking. They will first prescribe pain relieving medications that are safe for pregnant mothers. If any dental work is needed, they will try to postpone it till childbirth. If it cannot be delayed, the second trimester is the most suitable period for such treatments.