Regular oral examination allows your dentist to maintain your oral health in top shape and watch for developments that may lead to problems elsewhere in your body. A dental exam also picks up on poor nutrition and hygiene, growth and development problems and improper jaw alignment.
According to recent surveys, 90 percent of dentists said they counsel patients on home care for special oral health care needs resulting from chemotherapy or head and neck radiation therapy. Eighty-seven percent of dentists surveyed responded that they counsel patients on tobacco use, more than half provide direct counseling to patients. Thirty-eight percent of respondents also provide literature on the dangers of tobacco and information on tobacco cessation programs to patients, 17 percent refer patients to their primary care physician, and 14 percent directly refer patients to cessation services (figures taken from the Academy of General Dentistry). |
