© 2024 Milwaukee Public Media is a service of UW-Milwaukee's College of Letters & Science
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Open Wide! Better Dental Care Starts with Going to the Dentist

UK Ministry of Defense, flickr

Even for people who have few cavities, a trip to the dentist can seem like, well, pulling teeth.

But those of us who have sat in the exam chair for a few decades can tell you that a trip to the dentist today is generally a more pleasant experience than it was 20 or 25 years ago, and involves considerably less spitting.

Milwaukee Magazine takes aim at current trends in dentistry in an article in February’s magazine. Writer Sara Rae Lancaster and Managing Editor Tim McCormick say most of us are not going as much as we should.

“People were getting warning signs from their dentists because they might go in for a health check up every year, or maybe only once a year,” McCormick says. “And you usually see your dentist twice a year. They might be able to spot some things that might go unnoticed.”

The reason patients have to fill out that long checklist survey before the appointment is because other medications can have an effect on your oral health. If medications are causing dry mouth, your mouth becomes more prone for cavities, infection, and gum disease. Inflammation of gums can show pre-diabetes or diabetes.  And the chronic bad breath is something to mention to your dentist as well.

McCormick and Lancaster recommend you be proactive about your dental health - and, yes, that includes flossing regularly.