If you don’t have a dentist or haven’t visited a dentist in some years, we understand there might be hesitation or anxiety about booking an appointment with us. Regular checkups are the only way to prevent disease, decay, and infection from having a detrimental, costly, and potentially life-threatening effect on your oral health. We want to explore some common ideas about dentistry to help dispel anxiety and misinformation to work together towards happy, healthy smiles.
Learning to trust your dentist is a critical part of your overall health.
Overcoming dental anxiety can be very difficult, but we are here to help. Your dental team at Acadia prioritizes your dental health and your comfort. If you feel uncomfortable during your appointment, we are ready to answer your questions. We want you to know that many people face dental anxiety and uncertainty about bi-annual or even annual cleanings.
“My teeth seem healthy, so I don’t need to see the dentist.”
We have heard this one several times, but we always want to remind people that even the most diligent brushers and flossers cannot prevent tartar buildup in hard-to-reach areas. Tartar is the extremely hard and acidic build-up that is caused by plaque. It only takes 72 hours for plaque to harden into this tartar, which can only be removed by your dental hygienist.
In truth, the irregularity and infrequency of dental checkups are causing significant problems for both dental professionals and patients alike. Infrequent visits can increase the number of expensive interventions your dentist may need to perform to remedy damage or decay, turning what should have been a routine procedure into a costly and invasive intervention.
Your dental hygienist isn’t damaging your teeth when they clean your teeth.
While we understand just how overwhelming or intrusive the scraping of teeth can seem, it is necessary to remove stubborn tartar buildup, which can sit in difficult to access spots, such as your gum line and in between your teeth. Your hygienist is an expert in knowing the difference between precious enamel and pesky tartar.
How often should you visit your dentist?
Both adults and children need to visit the dentist regularly. While some patients have medical conditions which require them to visit more often, we recommend most patients visit us for bi-annual cleanings and an annual checkup.
If you are prescribed a new medication or condition that your dentist should be aware of, schedule a checkup to talk over a treatment plan with your dental team. In addition, if you experience any new and persistent symptoms, visit us right away.
Schedule a dental appointment right away if you experience:
- Persistent toothache
- Dental trauma such as cracked, chipped, or broken tooth or filling
- Persistent bleeding gums
- Any sores which don’t seem to heal
- A new white or red patch inside of your mouth
- Teeth that become noticeably loose
- A growth or lump inside your mouth
- Oral pain
- Tooth sensitivity
Saskatoon, we are here to keep you healthy and happy.
We are here to help you through every stage of your oral health, whether you are a toddler, senior, or anyone in between. We want to build a relationship of trust and care with our clients so they can develop healthy relationships with their oral health. If you’ve been avoiding, procrastinating, or denying yourself dental care, speak to us today––we are here to help you.
