The Importance of Visiting a Dentist

Dental Health: You wouldn’t trust a gardener to wire your house’s electricity

and you wouldn’t trust an ice-cream man to diagnose an ear-ache, so you shouldn’t just take people’s word for it when it comes to problems with your dental health.

Your oral health is just as delicate and important as every other aspect of your body, and just as you would visit a GP if you noticed an issue with your general health, it is important to visit a dentist if you notice a problem with your mouth. The best thing for your oral health is visiting your dentist at justSMILE for an appointment every six months. This is often enough to diagnose any problems before they progress beyond possible treatment, which can occur with diseases such as periodontitis. Dr Rammo from justSMILE can help protect your smile, as well as treat current problems and rejuvenate the appearance of your smile.

At the basis of any relationship – yes even the one with your dentist – is trust. We build trust with our patients by truly listening to your concerns, and we also dedicate our professional lives to identifying problems in your mouth early so that you’re not surprised by an unpleasant complication in the future. This is an important aspect of dentistry as it will ensure your smile is in optimum health.

We are also happy to offer options for anxious dental patients such as virtually pain-free injections and anaesthetic options. We offer nitrous oxide to our patients so that you can feel at-ease during your dental appointment even if you have a history of nervousness at the dentist.

MYTH: There’s nothing wrong so I don’t need to see the dentist

It’s extremely important that you visit Dr Rammo every six months so that your oral health can be monitored. This is important when it comes to decreasing your risk of periodontitis which can occur if you continue to neglect your mouth for an extended period of time. Also if you wait for pain to be your first symptom of a dental issue then it is clear that the issue has progressed significantly beyond the stage where it first should have been treated. There are a number of stages to both tooth decay and gum disease which should be addressed in the first stage.

Tooth Decay:

Tooth decay Stage 1: Subsurface Demineralisation

A small black hole will form where the bacteria has first eroded the exterior layer of enamel. This will then extend towards the dentine (softer layer of tooth).

Tooth decay Stage 2: Surface enamel collapse or Cavity

All enamel in between your dentine and the exterior of your tooth will collapse forming a direct hollow line from the outside to your dentine.

Tooth decay Stage 3: Dentine decay

The bacteria will continue to eat away at your dentine which is more porous and more easily affected compared to your enamel.

Tooth decay Stage 4: Cavity expands into pulp

This is when pain begins, as the pulp will be affected by bacteria which has caused the cavity. If left untreated then you may require endodontics in the near future which is the removal of your pulp otherwise known as root canal therapy.

Periodontitis:

Periodontitis Stage 1: Gingivitis

The gum is inflamed and bacteria and plaque gathers in between two teeth. You may experience bleeding gums and red gums.

Periodontitis Stage 2: Periodontal pockets

These pockets form when the gum is affected by the bacteria, causing decay and gum recession in between two teeth which leave a gap.

Periodontitis Stage 3: Periodontitis

Full periodontitis will often look like black spots between the teeth and receding gums which can recede all the way to the bottom of the tooth root.

As you can see each of these conditions get progressively worse, and without proper dental care (i.e. visiting your dentist) you may be putting yourself at risk. For tooth decay and periodontitis you may even end up losing a tooth which can be an expensive avenue that may require a dental implant.

If you’re looking for a dental implant dentist near you then Dr Rammo from justSMILE can help. Dr Rammo can install a dental implant which is the second-best thing to your natural tooth.