There I was in the dentist chair for my routine check up…Keeping my fingers crossed and telling myself that I shouldn’t have to be scared of the dentist finding anything “wrong” with my teeth, because of my better oral hygiene habits, I still was kind of apprehensive none the less.
Sat there, with my dentist routinely checking the soft tissues for any signs of cancer, (signs which are usually painless) got the all clear there…phew! He went on to check my teeth surfaces with his probe, looking for any soft enamel which usually means the presence of decay if found – was glad to hear my 2minutes morning and night brushing paid off in the long run.
He then went on to check my gum health; this is usually done with the aid of special probe to check for “pockets” between your teeth and gum. Pockets are found when the teeth looses attachment with the gum mostly due to gum disease, though there are different stages of gum disease, the early one being gingivitis which can tackled early before it advances to the more severe one called Periodontisis…smoking and other bad oral health habits account for this state which is mostly not reversible. These pockets create space for food accumulation which can also cause mouth odour amongst other things.
After checking my gum health, I got the all clear; I even got a nod for making sure there wasn’t any plaque accumulated in those hidden places like the inner part of the lower incisors, where we mostly forget to pay attention to, because of its position.
Now, the point here is, it’s ok to be apprehensive of going to see the dentist, even I was with my new improved oral health habits, also not forgetting the fact that I sleep and wake dental health.
The truth is, you truly never know what is lurking somewhere in the mouth, even though it doesn’t hurt, you feel fine and you brush twice a day, you still need to visit those professionals with the probe…they are not as bad as we first imagine, they are there to help see to our smile beautifully.
Don’t forget I’m here for you all, so dental experiences, good or bad can be shared by sending your emails to erin@erinmagazine.org … If you prefer to stay anonymous, do state it and we will respect your privacy.
Ciao!
Erin
THAT WAS CLOSE…PHEW!!
previous post