From a young age, you learned how to brush and floss your teeth. You also went to a dentist who had a large, oversized chair with a lot of instruments nearby. It may have made you a little uncomfortable, but your parents made you do it. Chicago, Illinois residents, likely find that, as they get older, they forget about dental visits every six months. You may dislike the feeling of being there or not have any pain or issues, so you put off what you should do.
Prevention is Key
In the past, dentists focused on fixing problems because that is when most people visited them. However, modern times focus more on prevention, whether in the dental chair or at the doctor’s office. Everyone now tries to prevent issues, such as gum disease, heart disease, and other severe problems. It’s much easier to prevent them than it is to fix or cure them. Therefore, it makes sense to keep up with six-month visits to ensure that nothing is wrong with your mouth or teeth.
Find Problems Sooner
Along with preventative care, dentists try to find problems as soon as they can. They use X-rays and appropriate dental tools to check your teeth, gums, and jaw bone. While they hope that you don’t have anything wrong and help you choose appropriate home-use products to stay safe, they also realize that it’s much easier to treat a small cavity than it is a large one. Small cavities need a filling (sometimes without a numbing agent) while larger ones could require a root canal (which is a more involved process and costs more).