If you are an adult and it has been years since you last went to the dentist, you need to go before it's too late. There are many scary health conditions that could be lingering around your mouth that you don't know about, and some of them could be potentially fatal.

The dentist does more than just clean your mouth, but they look for potential hazardous problems that may need immediate treatment. Here are a few reasons you want to get into the dentist for a checkup as soon as possible.

Gum Disease

Gum disease isn't just going to give you an unsightly smile, bad breath and discoloration, but it's also going to put you at a higher risk for developing heart disease. It can also make you more prone to getting infections in the mouth. If the dentist does discover that you have some type of gum disease, you may need to get a deep tissue cleaning. The deep tissue cleaning will help remove plaque that can't be reached with a toothbrush.

Oral Cancer

More than 100 people are diagnosed with oral cancer every day in America, and you could have the condition without knowing it because you haven't been seeing a dentist regularly. If you know that you have the sexually transmitted disease HPV, or your partner has it, this could increase your chances of having it in the mouth.

Wisdom Tooth Impaction

Have you never had your wisdom teeth pulled and you have a lot of pain in the back of your mouth and around your jaw? This could be caused by wisdom teeth pressing into the jaw bone, and they could be impacted. This can cause the teeth to push into the bones and cause damage, and it can also cause the gum tissue to get infected.

If you want your natural teeth to last for a lifetime you need to take care of them the right way, and regular dental checkups is a great place to start. There are a lot of dentists that are willing to put you out to do your teeth if you are scared of the dentist, or they can numb your gums if you are worried about pain from a deep cleaning treatment. Don't put off going to the dentist any longer to make sure you can avoid these different things that could seriously jeopardize your oral and overall health.

To learn more, contact a dentist like Stephen J Vanyo DMD PA.