In today’s world, life imposes a very high pace of functioning, often requiring multitasking to stay on top of daily struggles, and many people deny themselves the prosaic pleasures or underestimate matters related to their health. One excuse we often hear at Oxboro Dental is lack of time. While that may be true, it is imperative that you find time in your busy schedule to make several appointments with your dentist to regain your oral health or to show up for your preventative visits, whatever the professional recommendation. If your health suffers due to your oral condition, who will carry on all the daily nuances and demanding tasks?
Lack of proper oral hygiene and regular dental care negatively affects the state of your smile in all aspects – health and aesthetics alike. Issues related to your teeth should never be ignored, no matter how busy you are. The checkup usually takes several minutes, but the benefits of regular dental visits are indisputable. So, how often should you visit your dentist?
How Often Should Healthy Adults See the Dentist?
The average adult without dental or general health concerns should see a dentist once every six months. During the check-up visit, our Oxboro Family Dental professional will carry out a thorough examination of your oral cavity condition, assess the health of your dentition and surrounding periodontium. This screening will allow to quickly and efficiently detect any disturbing changes affecting your smile, followed by taking appropriate measures to restore its health. If the condition is diagnosed at an early stage of development, treatment will be effectively facilitated and in some cases avoided.
During such preventive check-ups, a certified dental hygiene professional will perform a series of dental cleaning procedures to remove damaging deposits from the surface of your teeth, saving you time and money on future dental issues. Professional dental cleaning includes eliminating plaque and tartar from your teeth, flossing, and polishing.
How Often Should You Visit a Dentist If You Have Ongoing Health Problems?
Whether you suffer from periodontal disease, have had gum disease in the past, or are at an increased risk for periodontitis, your dentist will most likely recommend more frequent than standard visits. This will allow your dental team to monitor the disease and any changes accompanying it. In addition, it might prevent other issues from developing.
Your dentist might advise you to come for routine check-ups every three to four months if your dental or general health is vulnerable or you suffer from chronic illnesses, such as diabetes or heart disorders. Those can unexpectedly speed up the deterioration of your oral health. The same principle applies to patients suffering from various forms of cancer and those with the ongoing treatments, such as chemotherapy.
Pregnant women, although not recommended to undergo major dental procedures if those can be postponed, are also at an increased risk for developing oral health problems, such as cavities. Expecting mothers go through various hormonal and behavioral changes, all of which affect their health. Eating habits might change and greatly contribute to tooth decay. The cavity-causing bacteria is contagious, and can quickly spread to the mouth of the baby.
Children Should Visit a Dentist More Often
For children, the frequency of follow-up visits should be slightly higher than for adults. The reason is the specific feature of their developing teeth – less mineralized, which increases the tendency to develop cavities. Tooth decay among children is the most common cause of gaps in smile. Therefore, young patients should meet with their dentist at least once every three months if possible, or at least twice a year. This will allow the dentist to monitor their oral health on an ongoing basis.
Children should also participate in an “adaptation” dental visit, often recommended immediately after the eruption of the first teeth. During the visit, your toddler will get acquainted with the working scheme of the office, the staff, and the instruments used in procedures. It is important that your child feels comfortable and safe in the dental environment before the first problems with teeth occur. This will allow young patients to avoid traumatic experiences with the dental practice. Early exposure will get them adjusted to the environment of their dental home. If pain, discomfort, and fear accompany their first dental visits, little patients might develop a negative attitude toward regular checkups, affecting the future of their smile.
Professional Dental Cleanings
Dental hygienization, or dental cleanings, should be performed as often as your regular dental check-ups. The standard of care is that they happen during the same appointment. Professional dental cleanings are a series of comfortable treatments whose task is to eliminate plaque and tartar, along with other harmful deposits, from your teeth and their surface. Polishing involves smoothing the surface of the enamel and thus improving its ability to reflect light, which will noticeably refresh your smile’s appearance. The final step involves applying fluoride.
Dental Hygiene At Home
Patients should never limit their dental hygiene to preventative check-ups. The full protection of your smile involves all the rituals performed at home on a daily basis. Meticulous home dental routine is also necessary to prevent the formation of plaque and tartar, which is the direct cause of the development of decay. Tartar evolves from a mineralizing bacterial plaque that adheres to the teeth after each meal. The microbes present in it secrete acidic substances that severely damage your enamel. Brushing your teeth twice a day for a minimum of 3 minutes will remove most of the plaque, while dental floss will eliminate food particles from between the teeth that are inaccessible to the toothbrush. To supplement this process, you may use mouthwash as it will effectively get rid of food residues, freshen your breath, and regulate the pH inside your mouth.
Schedule Your Check-Up At Oxboro Family Dental
Despite the huge amount of life responsibilities and our busy schedules, we all need to find the time for an oral health visit at Oxboro Family Dental! Our dentist will assess the condition of your entire mouth, implementing a series of pain-free comprehensive examinations, and, if absolutely necessary, apply appropriate treatment, ensuring good health of your smile and your psychological comfort. Don’t wait any longer and get your oral affair in order.