Shockingly, 2 million people in the UK have neglected to visit the dentist in more than a decade and a recent survey carried out by Bupa found that a third of people do not address dental pain or take painkillers to deal with it instead of making a check-up appointment.
Screening for oral cancer
Oral cancer often does not manifest any symptoms and even the later symptoms can be described as mild to moderately painful. When checking for signs of oral cancer, your dentist here at Cliftonville will check for signs of dead tissue, a sign that a tumour is present – please note that only an expert with medical knowledge can identify this kind of damage and you should not seek to try to diagnose this at home in the mirror. It can be tricky to spot and not visible to the eye which is why a VELscope Cancer exam is used to do this.
Keeping gum disease at bay
At one time or another, the majority of us will develop some form of gum disease. Inevitably food particles can become stuck in between your teeth which then multiply to cause a layer of plaque which cannot be removed through brushing alone. More severe signs of gum disease include bleeding and swollen gums which are a sign that you need to get to the hygienist ASAP. To avoid getting to this stage, attend regular hygienist appointments are essential, notably a process known as a scale and polish which you hygienist uses to remove tenacious staining that cannot be removed through brushing alone at home.
To tackle cavities
As mentioned above, scale and polish treatments ensure you keep gum disease at bay but they can also prevent cavities from forming. Regular professional teeth cleaning will make sure you don’t require a filling or indeed extraction later on down the line. Unfortunately, cavities don’t offer much in the way of symptoms, manifesting in the form of a minor ache in the tooth. Make sure you book yourself in the hygienist even if you don’t have any symptoms you believe are cause for concern.
If you would like more information about our range of treatments here at Cliftonville Dental, please do not hesitate to contact us.