Poor dental hygiene is usually the absence of good oral hygiene habits, such as brushing and flossing the teeth twice daily and visiting the dentist for dental health evaluation. Taking too much acidic and sugary food and drinks, and smoking can also cause dental diseases and lead to poor dental hygiene.
Some of the symptoms of poor oral hygiene includes bad breath, difficulty in opening and closing your mouth, difficulty in chewing, cracked tooth, tooth sensitivity, among others.
If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms, then it’s time to go for a dental appointment. However, before choosing a dentist, you need to make sure that the dentist is capable of treating your dental health.
How do you know your dentist is the right match? You can quickly tell if your dentist is the right choice based on the following criteria:
- Consistent Teeth Problems
It’s normal to have some toothache after eating tough meat or anything hard. However, having continuous teeth problems after visiting the dentist is a sign that they’re not the best fit for your dental health. The right dentist shouldn’t only focus on the symptoms but also the underlying cause or problem to get a better solution.
For instance, a dentist who recommends frequent brushing and medications to treat bad breath without checking the possible underlying causes, like diabetes, may not be the best fit for a patient suffering from halitosis. Similarly, recommending whitening tooth gels for someone who continually sips sugary drinks may not be in the patient’s best interest. The right dentist would recognize what the patient needs is not only remedies but also a change in diet and lifestyle.
Therefore, having consistent teeth problems that have refused to go away despite doing different teeth procedures and routinely seeing your dentist indicate that you need to change your dentist.
This is a sign that your current dentist is not the best match to provide solutions to your dental problems, and you need to try out other registered accredited health dental care professionals.
- Too Expensive
Dental health is essential, but it shouldn’t burn a hole in your pocket. If your dentist is too expensive to afford, then you should consider getting a dentist that’ll suit your budget.
You may also want to change your dentist if appointments with your present dentist cost you a fortune to the point that your health insurance can no longer cover for the excessive charges.
A good dental health care option is only as good as it can fit into your budget. You should, therefore, seek dental health care that you can afford without much stress.
To reduce the costs of having different dental care, it’s advisable for a family to get a family health dental care that fits into your budget and cater to all members of your family. It’ll also be better if this new family dental health care has the professional strength, technology, and equipment to meet your family’s dental challenges at an accommodating fee.
The good news is that most family dental health care has a flexible payment option once you register with them. All you need is to locate one and check out the packages they have to offer, then go for the one that fits into your finances.
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- Accessibility
You shouldn’t be having a long drive every time you have a complaint about your teeth. Doing this can be discouraging, which might result in procrastinating an appointment with your dentist. Thus, the proximity of your dentist should be one major factor to consider when choosing a dental health care center.
Also, you should check the ease of booking an appointment with the dentist. If your dentist is always too busy and seldomly available, then you should consider finding another dental health care center where accessibility is not a problem.
- Certification and Quality of Dental Equipment
A dental care center with old equipment may not be able to adequately handle your teeth problems. It’s better to place your dental care with a center with the right tools, latest gear, and top-notch professionals.
When visiting a dentist, you should watch the quality of tools and the available equipment used for examining your teeth. Doing this will tell you a lot about the dental health facility, and if you can trust them with your dental care.
You might also want to avoid dental centers without proper certifications. Not having one means that they’re not licensed to do what they do. Retaining your oral care in the hands of such enterprises might spell more trouble for your dental health.
Thus, always check for the licensing and certifications of dental practitioners or dental centers before availing their services. You can ask the center for their certifications or check the website before booking for appointments.
Never settle for a dentist that lacks the appropriate equipment or the necessary certification for your dental wellbeing. It will do you no good even if the fees are very cheap!
- Excellent Communication and Interpersonal Skills
A dentist should have social interaction skills; admittedly, not every dentist will be a social person, nor will every client also want a chit-chat. However, the right dentist should be able to have effective communication with their clients.
However, if you have problems opening up or discussing your oral health with your dentist, then they’re probably not the right match for you.
You should be able to feel at ease and comfortable enough to discuss your dental challenges with your dentist. You should also be able to completely understand your dentist whenever they explain their diagnosis and treatment. That way, you’ll able to play an active role in your oral health.
- Unnecessary Procedures
Having some procedures may become necessary if you develop some dental issues, such as cavities, periodontitis, among others.
However, watch out for dentists who recommend multiple treatments without giving valid reasons or showing you evidence that necessitates the procedures.
Your dentist is also supposed to give an unbiased counsel on the risks and benefits of different types of procedures. If your dentist only encourages you to have fillings, for instance, without informing you about the risks involved, then you have to reconsider their role in your dental care.
Such behavior is most likely a sign that your dentist is not the right match for you and probably just wants to rip you off.
By all means, avoid falling into unnecessary pressure and find a dentist who’s compassionate and honest enough to work on your dental health journey.
If you’re not sure whether your dentist is ripping you off or not, then try and get a second or third opinion. This would help you figure if you want to continue with the services or not
- Lacks Family Orientation
Another factor to consider, especially if you have family, is to seek a dentist who has the right family orientation.
Because such a dentist will work towards tracking your family history, this ensures that each member of the family gets regular check-ups and also make provisions to handle emergencies when they arise.
If your family dentist doesn’t do any of this, you may need to find another one who prioritizes your family’s oral health.
- Lack of Specialisation
Dentists operate in several capacities – if they’ve had specialized training after dental school, they may have a particular specialty.
Most people don’t know that dentistry comes with specializations. Not all dentists are qualified to do every dental procedure. Some are general dentists that offer regular check-ups and rudimentary teeth examination.
However, when there are significant teeth issues, one may need to be referred to a specialist. Therefore, it’s advisable to register with a dental health care center that has different specialists working with them so that you can have access to any specialist you may require.
- The Type of Dental Care you Need
The type of dental care will most likely determine if your current dentist is the right match or not. A general dentist may suffice for routine check-ups and cleaning, but might not be the best fit for more technical procedures.
For instance, if you suffer from conditions, such as teeth grinding, then you may need a sleep medicine dentist to solve your problems. Aesthetic dental treatment and cosmetic work, on the other hand, would require specialists in cosmetic dentistry.
Whereas dental care for an infant would require specialists in pediatric dentistry. The right dentist, so to say, depends on your needs. This is why it’s advisable to register with a family dental care center. That way, you can gain access to different specialists according to your needs.
- How Many Times Do You Need To See A Dentist?
It is perfectly normal if you don’t want to visit the dentist every time. However, it is common knowledge that routine visits to the dentist can significantly improve dental hygiene. What most people are confused about is precisely how frequently do these visits need to be?
Scheduling regular visits can help in identifying problems early, especially ones that are usually undetected by self-examinations. And a lot of professionals recommend a visit to the dentist once every six months, which is twice a year.
There are some exceptions for people having ongoing treatments- they may be required to visit the dentist more frequently, based on scheduled appointments. However, for those who don’t have any teeth problems, it is possible to wait a little longer than six months before visiting the dentist as far as you maintain good oral hygiene.
Nonetheless, exactly how long you can delay before the next visit is dependent on factors such as age, risk level, health, just to mention a few.
So, it is advisable to always consult your dentist before missing or delaying an appointment. You can also work with your dentist to create something that works for your needs.
Benefits Of Seeing A Dentist
There’s a lot to gain from seeing a dentist regularly. Some of these include:
- Positive For Overall Health
Research shows that visiting the dentist can improve one’s general health and also reduce the risks of developing dangerous conditions, such as diabetes, pancreatic cancer, and heart diseases.
The mouth reflects what happens on the inside. For instance, a mouth check-up can reveal whether you’re suffering from any underlying causes, such as vitamin deficiency, viral and bacterial diseases, or even diabetes.
This is especially true for people with severe gum disease – periodontitis. Although the exact link is yet to be established, people suffering from periodontitis tend to be more vulnerable to developing conditions, like heart disease and diabetes, than people with healthy gums.
Besides, untreated dental problems cause severe discomfort and can reduce the quality of life. But, having regular dental check-ups and practicing proper hygiene can significantly reduce the chances of developing tooth problems, improving your overall health.
- Save You From Bad Breath
Chronic bad breath is a turn off most people. One of the benefits you gain from visiting a dentist is the chance to get rid of bad breath.
Temporary solutions, such as brushing frequently and chewing mint, may not effectively curb severe cases of bad breath. For an effective cure, you’ll need to see a dentist to recommend treatment and medication.
- Improves Self Confidence
Not everyone is naturally blessed with a healthy dose of self-confidence and self-esteem. But, it’s something that you can build and achieve over time. One of the easiest ways of improving your self-esteem is by working on your oral hygiene.
A perfect smile that displays stunning dentition has this way of boosting self-esteem, which you may not realize until it happens.
Seeing a professional dentist can help you remove all the stains and plaque build-up that has been preventing you from showing off that smile. Smiling more can change a lot in your facial features and also make a difference in how you feel about yourself.
- Evaluate Your Dental Hygiene
You may not even know how bad your dental health is until you visit a dentist. Delaying such visits can only spell more trouble for the future of your teeth.
Routine visits to your dentists can help you evaluate the health of your teeth and also recommend areas you need more work.
Visits to the dentist usually involve routine check-up and cleaning, during which the dentist checks your teeth, note down any concerns, and recommend appropriate treatments for any severe problems. That way, you can track the progress of your oral health and also take on an active role in maintaining proper care for your teeth.
- Prevent Tooth Loss
Tooth loss can affect the way you chew and dentition. It’s also a condition that’s better to prevent it from happening than trying to rectify its effects. One of the simplest ways of preventing tooth loss is by visiting your dentist regularly and practicing proper oral hygiene.
Routine visits to your dentist will help you get preventive care to reduce the risks of developing conditions that can ultimately lead to tooth loss.
Conclusion
Getting the right dentist is as vital as getting the right doctor since both are essential to your overall health. To know if your dentist is the right match for you, you need to check how accessible and affordable they are, evaluate their skills, competence, and the quality of their work and equipment.
You also need to make sure that they’re certified and licensed. More importantly, evaluate if they fit into your dental care needs or not.
