At AH Smiles, Dr. Brent Engelberg helps his patients improve and maintain their dental health for many years to come. Our entire team looks forward to helping you create a smile that you can be proud of. Unfortunately, in the world of dentistry, there are several misconceptions that people have about caring for their dental health. We debunk three common misconceptions that patients have about their dental health below.
You don’t really have to floss.
Flossing has a bad reputation for being inconvenient, uncomfortable, and unnecessary. However, we want to encourage our patients to brush and floss twice a day. Flossing is important because it allows you to dislodge bits of food residue from the in-betweens of your teeth. If you do not remove these pieces of food residue, they will harden into plaque and tartar, which are the leading causes of tooth decay and gum disease development. If you skip flossing, you are leaving around 40% of the surface area of your teeth uncleaned. This makes flossing an absolutely essential step in your at-home oral hygiene routine.
Skipping routine dental appointments is okay.
People often forget about their routine dental appointments and are tempted to skip them when they finally arrive. However, it’s important to prioritize your preventative care. During routine dental appointments, your teeth will be professionally cleaned and examined. We remove all plaque or tartar from your dental structures to reduce your risk for tooth decay and gum disease, two of the most common dental concerns. Additionally, routine dental appointments allow Dr. Engelberg to catch minor issues before they develop into major dental concerns, potentially saving you time and money later on from needing more invasive restorative treatment. The sooner we can treat a developing dental concern, the more likely it is that we will be able to offer you a conservative treatment option.
My dental treatment is going to hurt.
Many patients suffer from dental anxiety and fear that their dental treatments are going to be very uncomfortable. Fortunately, modern dentistry has come a long way in providing patients with a more comfortable experience in the dental chair. Dr. Engelberg offers sedation dentistry options to help his patients remain calm and relaxed in the dental chair. We utilize local anesthetics to numb the appropriate areas before performing major dental procedures. Additionally, patients can request to incorporate nitrous oxide into their treatment plan.
If it has been over six months since the last time you sat in the dental chair, schedule an appointment with Dr. Brent Engelberg, your local Arlington Heights dentist. We look forward to seeing you soon!