Why January Is an Excellent Month to See Your Dentist
Happy 2017! It’s the New Year and this is the perfect time to start things off positively. The holidays are over and your year is settling in to a more normal routine. In addition to signing up for a new gym membership, taking down decorations, and putting away gifts, have you had time to schedule an appointment with your Asheville dentist?
January is an excellent month to check in with your dentist in Asheville. It’s the beginning of a new year and you can start by ensuring your smile is as healthy as it can be. Even if it’s been some time since you’ve gotten your teeth looked at, take this opportunity to get your mouth evaluated by a professional dentist!
Why is January the perfect time to visit your dentist?
Discuss Visits for the Coming Year
The American Dental Association (ADA) suggests that you visit your dentist regularly, with the length of time between each visit decided by you and your dentist. Why is this?
The reason for this statement by the ADA is that not everyone has the same mouth. You and your smile are unique some people may need to visit the dentist once a year while others may need a checkup every six months or even every three months based on your oral health.
When you visit your dentist in Asheville in January, you can talk with Dr. Saunders about how often you should get an exam and a professional cleaning. Based on your oral health history, an annual visit may be all that’s needed. However, if you have a history of oral health problems including cavities, gum disease, or even oral cancer, you’ll likely need to visit your Asheville dental practice more often.
Talk about your visits for the upcoming year when you visit your Asheville dentist this January. By putting them on the calendar now, you can know your appointments far in advance and arrange your schedule to accommodate them!
Start the Year off Right with a Professional Cleaning
When was the last time you got your teeth cleaned? While regular brushing in the morning and evening is great, you can’t be totally sure about the spots you’re missing or what’s hiding in-between your teeth when you forget to floss.
Getting a professional teeth cleaning with your dentist not only cleans your smile, but it also allows your dentist the opportunity to identify problem areas. Perhaps the back of your front teeth have more plaque than the rest of your mouth, indicating that you’re missing brushing there. Or maybe you’re having trouble flossing between your back molars. During a professional cleaning, you can address these problems and Dr. Saunders can help you become a better brusher!
Starting the New Year off with a squeaky clean smile removes surface stains, missed plaque from your daily brushing, and evaluates your risk for cavities. Smile wide this January!
Address Teeth, Gum, and Jaw Concerns
Having a problem with one of your teeth, your gums, or even your jaw requires a professional’s input rather than just searching the Internet. When you talk to a professional dentist in Asheville about your concerns, you get a concrete answer about what’s going on and what you can do about it.
While gum recession, tooth pain, and a popping jaw aren’t pleasant symptoms, your dentist can help you to correct them. Gum recession is a common sign of gum disease and is often present with other symptoms such as tooth sensitivity. Talking with your dentist about these symptoms can lead to a proper diagnosis and treatment to provide you with some relief!
A clicking or popping jaw is often a result of a problem with your temporomandibular joint (TMJ). You may know these disorders by their more common name, TMJ disorders. Your Asheville dentist can perform an exam on your jaw and look at your bite to determine if you may have a problem with this complex joint in your body.
Whether it’s an emergency toothache, the occasional pain of tooth sensitivity, or just chronic bad breath, address these problems with Dr. Saunders during your checkup this month!
Talk about Cosmetic Dentistry
If your smile is anything less than you want it to be, January is the time to schedule an appointment with your dentist to talk about cosmetic dentistry.
Your smile is a one-of-a-kind beauty. If you’re embarrassed about your smile for any reason whether it’s from stains, missing teeth, or a crooked bite, you can restore your smile with cosmetic dentistry. Talking to your dentist about your options can happen during a consultation and a dental exam that is totally pain-free and comfortable.
No matter how unhappy you are with your smile or what you’d like to correct about it, you have options when it comes to cosmetic dentistry. Porcelain crowns and veneers, dental implants, and teeth whitening can all transform your smile to reflect your inner shine.
Schedule an appointment with your dentist in January to talk about your cosmetic dentistry options to get you the smile of your dreams!
Ensure a Healthy Smile with an Oral Cancer Screening
Several things happen during a dental examination. In addition to checking your teeth and gums for problems, your dentist in Asheville also checks your bite to ensure no jaw problems are present. You may also choose to get your teeth cleaned during your dental exam to ensure an even healthier smile!
One of the things that takes place during your exam is an oral cancer screening. An oral cancer screening involves a simple exam of your mouth including gums, tongue, lips, and even your cheeks. Signs of oral cancer include lesions in your mouth that may be red or white in color, unexplained lumps in your face or neck area, and sores that resist healing.
If oral cancer is caught early, patients have an 80-90% survival rate. You can catch oral cancer early simply by visiting your dentist in Asheville for a checkup. Dr. Saunders is trained and experienced in identifying signs of oral cancer during your dental examination.
This January, take the time to schedule a visit to your local Asheville dental practice. There have never been more reasons than there are this month to take excellent care of your oral health. Get a fresh start this year by getting a professional cleaning, talking about any symptoms you’re experiencing, and set up visits for the coming year!
Don’t forget to talk to your dentist about cosmetic dentistry options and an oral cancer screening this January it’s never too late to take great care of your oral health!