Seeing your dentist regularly is one of the best ways to ensure that your teeth and gums stay healthy and to reduce your risk of cavities and eventual tooth loss. When you do visit a dentist, he or she will give your teeth a thorough cleaning, but this is not the only thing you can expect while in their treatment room. Note a few other dental procedures that are part of a routine visit, or that you can ask about having done, and why they're so important. This will help you to better understand why you should visit a dentist on a regular basis, even if you take good care of your teeth and gums at home.

X-rays

X-rays are often taken of your entire jaw during a dental visit, and this is done to note if your teeth are developing cavities in areas a dentist can't see with a visual exam. An x-ray can also tell a dentist if you're experiencing bone loss in the jaw and if there are health issues related to the roots of the tooth, including dental infections.

Seeing the roots of the tooth can also tell a dentist if the tooth is developing properly or if it's growing crooked, which can cause damage to other teeth or to that tooth itself. In turn, you might be fitted for a dental appliance to keep your teeth properly aligned.

Fillings

You may not think that fillings are very important, but if a tooth has even a small cavity, this weakens the tooth, increasing the risk of it cracking or breaking. A cavity or other such damage might also expose the pulpy flesh or the nerves inside the tooth, and this can cause pain, especially when you're eating or drinking. Filling cavities and other such decayed areas of a tooth can then protect it from future damage and help you to avoid future pain.

Bleaching

Bleaching or whitening your teeth may not be something your dentist does routinely, and you may wonder what it has to do with the health of your teeth. While having whiter teeth doesn't necessarily make your teeth healthier, having a dentist whiten your teeth can be safer than trying whitening processes at home. Many over-the-counter bleaching systems that include scrubbing the teeth can be abrasive, and overusing certain bleaches can also cause damage to the enamel of your teeth. Asking your dentist to bleach or whiten your teeth can then give you the results you want, while protecting your teeth from damaging home remedies.

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