Dental check up: the way to a beautiful smile

What does the word "check up" mean and what are the steps to carry it out completely?

We are accustomed to a periodic check of the state of our machines or electronic equipment and we also do screening for every system of our body, but the teeth, the mouth? We often forget about this part of our organism which is equally important. This is where the road to a beautiful smile begins, but not only that! In the mouth we can find the first signs of autoimmune diseases, gastro-intestinal duct problems, signs of hematological problems or even cancers.

No, I don't want to scare you, but to make you understand the importance of a simple and painless visit to the dentist.

On average, check-up visits are recommended every 6 months, this is enough time to discover any dental anomalies and treat them quickly so as to be able to save your teeth and pay less (because treatment costs increase with the complexity of the care required). Let's remember that cavities can't always be seen with the 'naked eye', it doesn't mean that every black spot has to mean a problem, just as the lack of pain doesn't mean that 'everything is fine'.

During the check-up, not only the teeth are checked. The dentist checks the condition of the entire oral cavity - the teeth, gums, tongue, soft structures, lymph nodes, muscles and bones. Often it is necessary to use additional instruments, such as magnifying instruments (such as lenses or a microscope) to increase the visibility of the field.

Not to be underestimated, there are radiological tests that allow you to evaluate the state of the teeth after endodontic treatment, they help to discover cavities in places that are not very visible such as between one tooth and another; they provide information on maxillary sinuses, bone levels and are an important tool for following the progress of periodontal diseases. These are some of the reasons why patients are advised to have an orthopanoramic.

A very important factor that should convince each of us to come to the dentist regularly is the fact that not all oral pathologies are linked to pain. It often happens that the patient does not report any type of discomfort but complications are discovered during a clinical examination.

Lastly we leave the economic factor. By regularly taking care of our oral health, we ensure that we discover any pathologies in their early stages, which will certainly require the simplest and least expensive therapy. It is important to check every warning sign that our body gives us (sensitivity, pain, change in color or shape) rather than going to the dentist when everything is falling apart.

As the famous proverb says 'better safe than sorry' - this way not only our body but also our wallet will thank us.