Regular dental check-ups and cleanings can provide a number of benefits for your oral health including:

1. Detection and prevention of oral diseases such as cavities, gum disease, and oral cancer, at an early stage.

2. Early detection of tooth decay: Regular check-ups allow the dentist to detect tooth decay early, which can then be treated before it becomes a much bigger job.

3. Professional teeth cleaning: A dental cleaning removes plaque and tartar that can build up on your teeth and gums, which can cause tooth decay and gum disease.

4. Fresher breath: A dental cleaning can help to improve bad breath.

5. Maintaining overall health: Dental health is linked to overall health. Many systemic conditions such as cardiovascular disease, stroke, pneumonia and diabetes are thought to be due to the bacteria and inflammation present in the mouth that can enter the bloodstream; so, it is important to maintain a healthy oral cavity.

6. Save money: By catching oral health issues early, it can be treated before it becomes a bigger problem which can save you money in the long run.

Schedule a dental appointment today.

To prevent tooth decay and cavities, it is important to practice good oral hygiene habits such as brushing and flossing regularly and limiting sugary and acidic foods and drinks. It is also important to schedule regular dental check-ups and cleanings with a dentist or dental hygienist.

If a cavity does develop, it can be treated by a dentist through a filling or crown. In more severe cases, a root canal or tooth extraction may be required. Fluoride treatments can also be used to help strengthen tooth enamel and prevent future decay.

Visit your dentist regularly so any problems can be treated immediately. Once caries is through the dentin, the layer of tooth under the enamel, a filling / dental restoration is needed.

You can avoid this by visiting your dentist regularly.

Broken front teeth, tooth pain, knocking out a tooth (avulsed tooth), bleeding gums and tooth sensitivity have all been covered in previous blogs. Below are many other types of dental emergencies that patients have.

Realigned your teeth after a fall
Once your permanent teeth grow in your teeth should never be loose. If you fall and hit your mouth and move teeth out of position, they will become loose and need immediate treatment. A trauma so severe as to move teeth needs emergency room treatment at a hospital to determine if you have had a concussion or a broken jaw. Your first stop though should be your dentist as the sooner the teeth are realigned the better chance they will survive the trauma.

Under some conditions it is possible to move teeth back into place. The dentist administers a local anesthetic, repositions the teeth and then uses composite to bond them to the neighboring teeth for support. This keeps them in place until they heal back into the bone. Depending on the extent of the injury the bonding will have to remain in place for up to 3 months. The longer the teeth are left untreated the harder it will be to move them back into position. Teeth that have moved and caused bone damage will most likely need to be extracted.

Root canal treatment will need to be done on the injured teeth as the nerve will die from the trauma and will cause infection; therefore, the canals have to be cleaned, disinfected and medication placed in the canals or the teeth will start to go dark, a sure sign the nerve is dying.

The teeth stand a better chance of long term viability the sooner they are treated. Seek immediate dental treatment.

Infections
Infections can result in varying degrees of pain and sometimes they can have no pain at all, but all have one thing in common. There is something wrong in your mouth and it needs to be treated sooner rather than later. Whether it is a tooth abscess, cavity, injury, prior dental work or poor oral hygiene, left untreated will only become more serious.

Idiopathic ulcers or canker sores
While idiopathic ulcers are not life threatening, they are very painful and make eating and talking difficult. They develop on the soft tissue or at the base of the gum and are small, oval in shape with a red edge. Most go away in a week or so. Their cause is unknown but researchers believe they develop after a mouth injury such as an accidental cheek bite, hard teeth brushing, food sensitivities or stress to name a few. Contact your dentist if it doesn´t heal or it gets progressively worse.

Abscess
There are three types of abscesses, a periapical abscess, a periodontal abscess, and a gingival abscess. Abscesses occur at different regions of the tooth and for different reasons. Essentially, an abscess is a pocket of pus that is caused by a bacterial infection. Either way you slice it, the abscess need to be treated. The abscess has to be drained to get rid of the infection. At times a root canal treatment is required and if that is not possible then the tooth would need to be pulled. Infection causes bone destruction so it is important for it to be treated in a timely manner. It also can result in serious and sometimes life-threatening complications if left untreated.

Swelling
Swelling in the oral cavity is a common dental emergency and depending on the reason for the swelling is one that needs immediate attention. Usually the swelling doesn´t go away on its own. Swelling of any kind is never a good sign and can indicate that you have a serious dental infection.

A swelling has many causes including:
Gum disease
Gum inflammation (gingivitis)
Using a dental device such as braces
Having a sharp or broken tooth
Reaction to certain foods or medication
Biting your tongue or cheek
Cancer treatment such as chemotherapy or radiation
Taking medication for rheumatoid arthritis, epilepsy or antibiotics
Autoimmune diseases such as lupus, Crohn´s disease or Bechet’s disease

It is not pleasant realizing that you have something wrong in your mouth and it is difficult to examine yourself. You are left wondering if this will go away on its own. Can I look after this myself? How long do I wait before calling my dentist? Many times people have favorite home remedies that can help, but at other times you need to call your dentist immediately.