Here’s a fact—most people, probably you, included, hate dentists or have dental anxiety. And who can blame you? Your first memory of a dentist is probably when during your first tooth extraction when you were seven or eight. So much pain is associated with that memory. Then again, when you were 12, when your mom got you braces. Again, so much pain. Your memories of a dental clinic are probably so painful that you don’t want to step into one ever again.

The thing that you need to realize though is that dentists—as all other doctors—are here to help. Yes, your memories of them might be filled with pain, but when you think about it, after the initial pain, everything got better.

In all honesty, oral health care, due to its nature of dealing with areas of the body with lots of nerves that are so close to the brain, is one of those practices, where pain and discomfort are often included in the process of correcting a sickness or disorder. But this should never discourage anyone from going on regular dental check-ups, especially because early detection of any kind of disease allow you to save so much time, money and pain.

Here are some of the most important reasons why you should invest in making sure you see your dentist at least once every six months:

1. Finding underlying problems—It goes without saying that if there’s anyone who can detect any oral health problem you may have before anyone else, that will be your dentist. What you should know is that there are destructive diseases out there that show little to no symptoms and progress really quickly. Routine check-ups can help you identify these right away and put a stop to any problem you may have before it gets worse.
2. Keeping your teeth in pristine condition—Regardless if you’ve been diligently brushing and flossing, there will always be areas in your mouth that you won’t be able to reach—areas that only professional oral care practitioners like a dentist or dental hygienist will be able to effectively clean. The thing about plaque is, when it builds up, it turns into tartar, which results to cavities that cause tooth decay. In other words, you can prevent tooth decay and save money for fillers or dentures by getting regular professional dental cleaning.
3. Stopping bad habits—Chewing on your nails? Grinding your teeth? Brushing your teeth too hard? You can bet that your dentist can tell all these things just by looking at the state of your mouth. Most people usually think these bad habits don’t have any significant impact on your health, but they do. And sometimes you just need someone to let you realize that what you’re doing is bad for you.

What you need to realize is that going for regular visits to your dentist may not seem like the most budget-friendly and nicest way to spend your extra time, but it’s very much worth it, because as with any disease, prevention way better than any cure.