Why is your Regular dental checkup important?
A regular dental check-up important to keep your teeth and gums healthy. We recommend having a regular dental check-up every 6 months or at least once a year. Millions of bacteria and other germs are found in your oral cavity. It doesn’t matter how well you look after your teeth, there is always a possibility for bacteria getting trapped in your teeth. If you do not look after your teeth, one day you may regret it.
Having a dental check-up allows your dentist to detect cavities and tooth decay early, while they are still minor. The earlier you are able to catch them, the less expensive cavities are to treat. Regular dental check-ups will also give you the opportunity to hopefully prevent further cavities.
What happens at your dental check-up?
There are 2 parts to your regular dental check-up. First you will have the examination and after that, the part we all love, the cleaning.
At your dental check-up, your dentist will check to see if you have any cavities or irregularities with your teeth and gums. X-rays may be taken in order to help detect cavities within your teeth. Your exam will also include checking for plaque and tartar build-up on your teeth. Plaque is a layer of bacteria on your teeth. If plaque is not removed, it can harden and become tartar. Tartar is not something that can be removed with just brushing and flossing. If you let plaque and tartar build up on your teeth, this can cause oral diseases.
After checking for cavities, we will check your gums. Healthy gums are just as important as healthy teeth. When you have healthy gums, the depth of space between your teeth and gums are shallow. However, when someone has gum disease, these spaces may be deeper.
During your dental check-up, your teeth will also be cleaned. Daily brushing and flossing will help clean plaque from your teeth, but this cannot remove tartar. During your cleaning, your dentist will use special tools to remove tartar. After we clean and remove any tartar from your teeth, we may also polish your teeth. This helps to remove any surface stains on your teeth. As the final step, we will use floss to make sure the areas between your teeth are clean.
Having a check-up allows your dentist to detect cavities and tooth decay early, while they are still minor. The earlier you are able to catch them, the less expensive cavities are to treat. Regular check-ups will also give you the opportunity to hopefully prevent further cavities.
Dental check-ups allow your dentist to:
- Detect cavities/tooth decay early
- Catch gum disease early
- Detect early-stage oral cancer
- Check your fillings
- Catch dry mouth or bad breath
- Review your oral hygiene
- Protect your overall health
- Safeguard your family’s oral health
What should you do between each dental visit?
Of course, as you know, your smile is better with a healthy and beautiful set of teeth to go with it. Regular dental visits can help ensure you have that big, bold smile you want. However, going to the dentist alone is not enough to keep the stains, cracks, and dental decay away. There are several things you can do to improve and maintain your teeth and smile between your dental visits.
Be sure to take good care of your teeth and gums between your dental check-ups. You can manage the forming of plaque by brushing and flossing your teeth regularly. A few good oral care tips for at home:
- Brush your teeth twice a day.
If you do not brush your teeth every day, a layer of bacteria called plaque can build up and coat your teeth. Plaque build-up is the main cause of gum disease and tooth decay. Brushing your teeth stops plaque from building up. Be sure when you brush that you are getting every part of all your teeth. It is important to have a sufficient tooth brushing routine for you and every family member. Be sure to brush once when you wake up in the morning and then again before you go to bed. We recommend that each brushing should be at least two minutes long.
- Floss your teeth daily.
Flossing your teeth is just one dental habit you should be doing every day. Flossing helps get any food and plaque out that you have stuck in between your teeth. Be sure to floss before you brush because it will remove the food and plaque from between your teeth thus allowing a better clean! Flossing has several benefits. Flossing can help prevent gum disease even. Gum disease refers to inflammation and infection of the gums. When you don’t take care of your teeth, plaque will slowly eat away at your gums, eroding your soft gum tissue. Flossing is very effective at preventing plaque build up at the base of the teeth.
- Use mouthwash to help control plaque bacteria. Mouthwash will also help keep your breath fresh.
- Change your toothbrush our regularlyWhen you are using your toothbrush regularly, it will eventually cause the bristles to splay outward. Old, worn-out toothbrushes are not as effective at cleaning your teeth. We recommend changing out your toothbrushes every 3 to 4 months to ensure you’re maintaining good oral hygiene.
- Avoid High Sugar Content Food and Drinks
We all know the phrase, “you are what you eat”. This can apply to your teeth and gums. Avoiding food and drinks are high in sugar and acidic can help lower your probability of causing cavities.
Key Takeaways
Good oral hygiene along with regular visits to your dentist are important to help you maintain healthy teeth and gums. Prevention is always better than having to have a tooth extracted. Healthy teeth and gums mean a beautiful smile. However, if against all odds, you or one of your family members begins to feel any sort of sensitivity or damage to a tooth, don’t wait to do something about it. Get ahead of it before it becomes a bigger issue.
Contact us to schedule your dental check-up today!