Regular examinations can detect common oral diseases early on

Regular oral examination is to have a dentist undergo regular oral health examinations without any oral diseases or discomfort. With the help of a doctor, knowledge of oral health can be obtained. Li Yuan, the attending physician of the Third Outpatient Department of Jiangsu Provincial Stomatological Hospital, pointed out that learning correct and effective self oral health care methods is beneficial for maintaining oral health, rather than seeking medical attention only when problems have been discovered.
Li Yuan stated that it is generally recommended that patients undergo a comprehensive oral examination around six months. Regular oral examinations can reveal many early common oral diseases. Li Yuan used the most common types of dental caries and periodontitis as examples to explain the importance of regular oral examinations. Caries, also known as tooth decay, is not yet deeply affected by the dentin in the early stages of tooth decay. Patients usually do not feel anything, and only a doctor can detect it. Early detection usually requires simple filling treatment. If early detection is missed, pulpitis can occur once it affects the dental pulp, which not only causes severe pain but also requires root canal treatment to cure. At the same time, there will also be a significant amount of tooth loss. Gingivitis, periodontitis, and gingivitis are early manifestations of periodontal disease. At this time, dental plaque and calculus accumulate at the edge of the gums, causing redness and swelling of the gums. There may be bleeding when brushing or biting hard objects, but the infection has not yet affected periodontal fibers and bone tissue. If treated in a timely manner, the removal of dental plaque and calculus can restore the health of the gingival tissue. If periodontitis develops in the early stage, the infection has already affected periodontal fibers and alveolar bone tissue, forming periodontal pockets, which can cause gum redness, swelling, bleeding, and bad breath. If treated promptly, it can still stop the development of periodontal disease. If severe periodontitis develops, the supporting tissues of the teeth are severely damaged, causing teeth to loosen, shift, elongate, experience pain, and have weak chewing ability. At this point, some teeth cannot be retained and need to be promptly extracted to avoid affecting other salvageable teeth.