{"id":128,"date":"2017-10-16T08:46:13","date_gmt":"2017-10-16T08:46:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mitchellsmiledesign.com\/blog\/?p=128"},"modified":"2022-03-23T13:09:50","modified_gmt":"2022-03-23T13:09:50","slug":"dentist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mitchellsmiledesign.com\/blog\/2017\/10\/16\/dentist\/","title":{"rendered":"What Happens When You Don\u2019t Visit the Dentist?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-129\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mitchellsmiledesign.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/AdobeStock_76948480-300x225.jpeg\" alt=\"portrait of a smiling family\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mitchellsmiledesign.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/AdobeStock_76948480-300x225.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/www.mitchellsmiledesign.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/AdobeStock_76948480-768x576.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.mitchellsmiledesign.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/AdobeStock_76948480.jpeg 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>Too many adults think of visiting the dentist as something they <i>should <\/i>do, but don\u2019t really make the time for &#8212; kind of like that daily half hour of cardio or reading a new book every month. Who has the time?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Unfortunately, not getting your teeth evaluated and monitored regularly really <i>is<\/i> a big deal. People who do not undergo <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mitchellsmiledesign.com\/preventive-dentistry.html\"><span class=\"s2\">regular dental care<\/span><\/a> are setting themselves up for a whole host of issues with oral and overall health, not the least of which is oral cancer. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\">Most dentists recommend regular checkups and cleanings to be performed at least every six months.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s1\">Monitoring Gum Health<\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Your periodontal (gum) tissue is a significant indicator of your systemic well-being. Red, inflamed gums indicate gum disease and an increased risk of a number of health conditions, including\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li class=\"li1\"><span class=\"s1\">Heart disease<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li1\"><span class=\"s1\">Tooth loss<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li1\"><span class=\"s1\">Respiratory issues<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li1\"><span class=\"s1\">Certain types of cancer<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li1\"><span class=\"s1\">Uncontrolled diabetes<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li1\"><span class=\"s1\">And others<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\">Gum disease is a chronic inflammatory condition that affects almost half of adults living in the US. By keeping track of the depth of periodontal pockets, or spaces where infection-causing bacteria lives between the teeth and gums, your dentist can help you avoid the significant effects of this condition. When caught in the early stages, gum disease can be reversed with improved dental hygiene and a couple of extra visits to the dentist. More moderate levels require <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mitchellsmiledesign.com\/gum-disease-treatment.html\"><span class=\"s2\">scaling and root planing<\/span><\/a>, also known as a deep cleaning. <\/span><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s1\">Conservative Treatment Plans<\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\">During a biannual examination, your dentist will look out for the evidence of cavities, malfunctioning dental work, and other indications that you need restorative care. Detecting these issues early helps to ensure that the problem can be solved in the most conservative fashion possible. By neglecting your routine dental appointments, you are putting yourself at-risk of a bad surprise, like waking up with an aching tooth at 2 am &#8212; perhaps one that ultimately cannot be rescued. <\/span><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s1\">Early Detection Is Crucial<\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\">Your dentist will also be on the lookout for the warning signs of something you may not think about too much &#8212; oral cancer. By detecting irregularities like lesions that do not heal, asymmetries, rough patches in the soft oral tissues, and other warning signs, your dentist can provide a diagnosis to help you get the care you need ASAP. Early detection of oral cancer is closely linked to more successful treatment outcomes.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s1\">Visit Your Dentist This Month!<\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\">Patients of all ages should visit their dentist at least every six months for routine care. People who are at a higher risk of cavities or gum disease may be advised to come in more often. With that in mind, when was YOUR last visit to the dentist? Don\u2019t skip out on these regular appointments &#8212; your healthy, lasting smile depends on them! <\/span><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s1\">About the Author<\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s2\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mitchellsmiledesign.com\/meet-dr-mitchell.html\"><b>Dr. Bradley Mitchell<\/b><\/a><\/span><span class=\"s1\"><b> <\/b>is passionate about dentistry and believes a good dentist can truly change lives. To learn more about his comprehensive services or to schedule an appointment for superior family dentistry, you are invited to contact Dr. Mitchell\u2019s office at 405-755-2670. <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Too many adults think of visiting the dentist as something they should do, but don\u2019t really make the time for &#8212; kind of like that daily half hour of cardio or reading a new book every month. Who has the time?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-128","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mitchellsmiledesign.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/128","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mitchellsmiledesign.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mitchellsmiledesign.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mitchellsmiledesign.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mitchellsmiledesign.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=128"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.mitchellsmiledesign.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/128\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":322,"href":"https:\/\/www.mitchellsmiledesign.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/128\/revisions\/322"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mitchellsmiledesign.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=128"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mitchellsmiledesign.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=128"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mitchellsmiledesign.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=128"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}