How Often Do You Need to Visit for a Dental Checkup?
Over 100 million Americans neglect visits to their dentists every year, even though frequent visits are essential to maintain oral health. You might receive reminders or text messages from the dentist in Elk Grove reminding you about your appointment for the six-monthly visit with your dentist. The remainder might make you wonder whether you must visit the dentist for checkups every six months.
Although little research supports it, dentists recommend twice-yearly visits for checkups even though the rule isn’t the best option for everyone. Please continue reading to learn more about how often you must get dental checkups, why you might need to visit dentists more frequently, or how to stay healthy and minimize your visits.
Why Do Dentists Recommend Regular Dental Checkups?
Dentists recommend twice-yearly dental visits for many people as a rule of thumb. However, the truth is that your unique smile needs may have their requirements. Therefore your oral hygiene, lifestyle habits, and medical conditions may determine how often you must see your dentist.
Some people may need regular checkups once or twice a year. Many others may need more frequent visits. Therefore it helps if you inquire with your dentist when you must schedule your next visit. However, your dentist will probably tell you when they expect you for your next appointment.
Dentists recommend regular dental checkups to detect infections and conditions in your mouth and treat them immediately before they aggravate. They also perform other preventive measures to ensure you don’t fall prey to diseases like oral cancer. The checkups help dentists detect precancerous and cancerous lesions early when they deliver optimal treatment outcomes.
The Dental Checkups Procedure
The dental checkups procedure is straightforward and completed within the hour. When starting your dental checkup, the dentist at the dental clinic near me looks for signs of tooth decay and cavities besides gum disease, which affects almost everyone. If the dentist detects any anomalies in the mouth, they recommend prompt treatments.
The dental checkups require approximately an hour and will not take more time because the dentist also screens you for oral cancer. In reality, you don’t realize when the dentist completed the screening because it merely requires around five minutes before you are handed over to the dental hygienist for a dental cleaning.
Dental cleaning is an essential part of dental checkups because it entails eliminating plaque and tartar buildup on your teeth and below your gum line, a leading cause for gum disease that causes tooth loss and compels you to seek dental implants in Elk Grove. You receive a deep cleaning to remove hardened tartar from your teeth which, if left untreated, creates undesirable consequences to impact your oral and overall health.
After the deep cleaning, the hygienist polishes your teeth with gritty toothpaste and an electric toothbrush. You might not like the grinding sounds of the toothbrush. However, it is an excellent technique to eliminate excessive plaque from your teeth and between them left behind from the earlier cleaning. In addition, the polishing leaves your teeth appearing brighter and giving you a smile you become proud to show off.
Eventually, you receive a fluoride treatment to battle against cavities for several months.
Dental Checkups Are Not Dental Treatments
Dental checkups are routine visits consisting of an examination of your mouth and cleaning. Dental treatments are entirely different and help treat issues for any conditions you might have developed. Consider dental checkups as a preventive measure to ensure no dental conditions affect you by following a regular schedule. If you need dental treatments, you can schedule a separate appointment according to your unique needs. However, if you plan regular dental checkups, you can prevent the need for dental treatments.
The American Dental Association recommends six-monthly dental visits for everyone, including children similar to dentists. You must consider dental checkups as a precaution to prevent severe issues from developing in your mouth. Without regular dental checkups, untreated problems in your mouth aggravate, become painful, and are challenging to treat later.
Allowing your dentist to regularly inspect your teeth and gums also helps prevent problems besides saving you considerable sums of money. The dentist also provides advice on how to improve your oral hygiene habits, making you less likely to develop cavities or gum disease.
If you are due for your dental visit, do not try to avoid it but schedule an appointment with Laguna Dental & Orthodontics and receive your dental checkup and cleaning without exceptions.