Sometimes it’s very easy to find a myriad of reasons to not visit your dentist at least twice a year for a checkup. Yet there are many more reasons why you definitely should take the time for these important visits that can not only protect your smile, but your overall health as well.

During your checkup, your dentist will examine your teeth to make sure that they are free of cavities or other problems. If cavities are caught when they are just getting started, they can be removed and filled before they cause severe damage to or completely destroy a tooth or even spread to the surrounding teeth. And if a tooth has become chipped or cracked, your dentist can identify the issue and correct it before it can cause pain or even break off and create additional challenges.

Your dentist will also check your gums to ensure that they are free of gum disease (also known as periodontal disease). Gum disease has very few, if any, symptoms before it gets to the point that it is doing damage to your teeth, gums and the bones that hold your teeth. But with a thorough examination, a dentist can diagnose this disease in its very early stages, which is important to your overall health because it is estimated that “80 percent of American adults” currently have some form of periodontal disease. And periodontal disease that is left to move into an infection has been found to be a risk factor in systemic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes.

Your dentist will also screen for oral cancer, which could actually save your life because each year more than 300,000 new cases of oral cancer are diagnosed worldwide and more that 7,500 deaths are caused annually from this disease. Yet when it is found and treated early, oral cancer can be controlled.

Along with making sure that your teeth and gums are healthy and that there are no problems that can affect your overall health, your dental checkup is also a good time to talk to your dentist about teeth whitening, a smile makeover or any other aesthetic concerns you may have in regard to your teeth and your smile. With the dental technology of today, everyone can have a beautiful smile. Your dentist can go over all of the options that are available and recommend the ones that will work best for you.

Taking the time at least twice a year (and even more often if you have ongoing issues) to go to your dentist for routine checkups will also save you money because problems that are diagnosed and treated when they are in the beginning stages are much less expensive than those that have been allowed to develop into real issues.

So the next time you find yourself beginning to make excuses as to why you can’t schedule your routine dental checkup, think about the reasons you should…it can save you money, save your smile and just possibly save your life.

Periodontal disease (also known as gum disease) is quite stealthy…it is one of those afflictions that takes hold in your body and you don’t even know it’s there until it has already done some severe damage to your teeth, tissues, bones and even your overall health. In fact, 70 percent of tooth loss is attributed to gum disease. And periodontal disease has been shown to do much more damage than just to your oral health; it has been linked to strokes, heart disease, diabetes and pre-term, low birth-weight pregnancies.

There are a variety of risk factors that can contribute to gum disease such as smoking, poor oral hygiene, female hormonal fluctuations (such as in pregnancy and menopause), genetic predisposition, a diet high in sugar, stress, substance abuse and some medications. But the most common and most easily controllable factor in periodontal disease is the sticky, colorless film in your mouth known as plaque. This bacterial plaque releases toxins that break down the natural fibers that bond your gums to your teeth. When this occurs pockets can form between your teeth and gums giving the bacteria a place to hide as they do their destructive work on your teeth, gums and the bones beneath your teeth.

There are basically four stages of periodontal disease:

-Gingivitis – Gums are inflamed

-Early Periodontitis – An infection has begun to destroy the bone that holds your tooth or teeth

-Moderate Periodontitis – Significant bone loss is occurring

-Advanced Periodontitis – Severe bone loss has occurred

If you currently have any of the following symptoms, there is a good chance that you have advanced periodontal disease and a trip to your dentist is imperative, not only for your oral health but your overall health as well.

-Gums that are red, swollen, tender or bleeding

-Sensitivity in your teeth

-Pain when you chew

-Loose or separating teeth

-Gums that have pulled away from your teeth

-A change in the way that your teeth fit together

-Persistent bad breath

-A change in how your partial dentures fit

-Pus between your teeth and gums

But the good news is that if you make regular trips to your dentist at least twice a year for a dental checkup, your dentist can find gum disease in even its very earliest stages and it can be treated and progression stopped. By working together with your dentist, you can ensure that periodontal disease will not have an opportunity to do any damage to your teeth or health.

To begin with, good daily oral hygiene habits are very important so that the bacterial plague that is constantly occurring in your mouth can be removed before it turns into tartar which can develop both above and below your gum line and cause deterioration and infections. Your dental professional can help ensure that you are brushing and flossing correctly to keep your teeth and gums healthy.

If your dentist does find indications of periodontal disease, there are a variety of treatments that can be used depending on the stage of the disease. Ideally, you want to prevent gum disease altogether and to do that, it is important that you maintain good daily oral hygiene habits and visit your dentist at least every six months so that if gum disease does get started, it can be found in its very early stages and stopped it in its tracks.

As most of those suffering with firbromyalgia already know, it is difficult to treat. Usually you’ll need a doctor who has expert knowledge in this area, as a lot of doctors and physicians won’t be familiar with how it can be treated. That said there are still many things you can do on a daily basis to provide considerable relief and make it as easy and comfortable to live with as possible.

In this article, we’ll look at some alternatives that any fibromyalgia arthritis sufferer can do to experience relief, aside from taking medication. Many of these things may be obvious to you, and some not so, but either way these are some fibromyalgia treatments you should try incorporating into your life as much as possible. Here are some lifestyle changes to that could prove very beneficial:

Get A Good Night Sleep: Although it may be difficult for a fibromyalgia arthritis sufferer to get a good night sleep due to pain, getting enough of the right amount has been shown to be very effective at easing pain and tiredness associated with this illness. If you’re having trouble sleeping on a regular basis, don’t just assume that there’s nothing you can do. Consider investigating methods that will improve your quality of sleep. Often by making simple changes you can see important results. In this respect avoiding depression will help you get a good nights sleep, since negative emotions make you more susceptible to being depressed. One approach that has been found effective is meditation and other relaxation techniques. Another is exercise.

Get Some Exercise: Again, this definitely isn’t easy for a fibromyalgia arthritis sufferer, but in the same way as sleep, although it can be hard, the effects of exercise will have a positive effect. The key is to just make sure you are some- what active during the day, even if it’s just a short easy walk or other form of gentle exercise. You can build the endurance and intensity up over time as you progress.

Get Natural Fibromyalgia Pain Relief from Essential Oils: You can use essential oils for relaxation (lavender) and natural pain relief (Basil and Marjoram, mixed with massage oil and rubbed in is often effective and can quickly relieve spasms and cramps; Peppermint oil stops that dull aching pain). I must advise you that I only use pure, therapeutic grade oils, organically grown, harvested at peak times, and distilled at low heat very slowly, with no solvents or additives. Using cheaper oils that may not be pure or may have been processed at high heat (which destroys the delicate constituents of the plant) as many of the cheaper oils are, will probably not give the same effect as pure therapeutic grade oils. One of the essential oil blends that I use with success is lavender and peppermint, about 4 drops of each mixed with sesame oil and applied to areas of pain.

Eat Well: Although there are no foods that are magic bullets that will cure fibromyalgia arthritis directly, eating well is extremely important in that it will make you feel better overall, as well as making things like getting enough quality sleep and exercise easier. It would also be a good idea to track what particular foods have a positive or negative effect on your fibromyalgia arthritis. Many patients report that they feel better after eating or avoiding certain foods.

To sum up, these solutions may not seem easy, but they all work together. If you eat well and do easy exercise, not only will you reduce the pain, but you’ll probably find it easier to sleep better. And getting a good night sleep, you’ll likely find it easier to do more exercise and so on and so forth. It’s not easy, but the benefits far outweigh the negatives.