We all know that going to the dentist is important. The basic rule of thumb says you should visit the dentist every six months. Most people know they should visit the dentist twice a year for regular teeth cleaning exams. These twice yearly visits help your dentist keep your teeth clean as well as help them find, treat or prevent oral health problems. It is a lot easier to monitor or treat oral health issues when they are minor and when your dentist is familiar with your oral health history. People without any problems are ok to go once a year.
Your dentist will suggest when you should have your next check-up based on how good your oral health is.
Reasons needed for regular dental check-ups
- Tooth pain or swelling
If you have any swelling in your cheeks or around the area that hurts, this is likely a sign of an infection in the root, which requires treatment from your dentist. Do not ignore any pain in your mouth or jaw, it can be a cavity, abscess or impacted tooth. Visit dentist right away to get your treatment done
- Pain in jaw
See your dentist if you feel pain or clicking in your jaw while opening or closing your mouth.
- Gums are swollen or bleed during brushing or flossing
If you are not already receiving gum disease treatment from your dentist, swollen, sore or red gums mean you have gum disease. Mild forms of gum disease are often treatable and reversible with extra attention to your oral hygiene at home and regular dental visits. But severe gum disease requires extra treatment from your dentist. Infection, bacteria and plaque can build below the gum line, and you’ll need professional deep cleaning and scaling appointments to restore your gum health.
- Injury to the mouth
If you’ve had any sort of injury or trauma to your mouth, you’ll want to see your dentist, whether it feels like a dental emergency or not. Trauma to the teeth can sometimes cause damage to the root so it’s important to see your dentist so they can monitor the injured area.
- Difficulty while eating food
Visit to a dentist if finding difficulty in chewing or swallowing.
- White spots on your teeth or gums
White spots on your teeth are one of the first signs of decay. Check with your dentist if you notice a spot. Catching it early can help prevent cavities. White spots on your gums are a sure sign of infection. Patients who have an infection in the root of their tooth might not yet be experiencing pain from the infection, but they could notice a “pimple” on their gums. Don’t pop or scrape at this spot. Instead, see your dentist right away.
- Hiding Smile
Having yellow teeth or if having any missing teeth; don’t feel shy and visit dentist to address your problem.
Having a proper dental cleaning can reduce these issues. Not only do they remove stains, giving you a brighter smile, but they also remove plaque. Plaque is a clear, sticky layer of bacteria. Build up can lead to tooth decay and gum disease. If it isn’t removed it can harden and develop into tartar. This needs to be removed by a dentist using special tools.
- Canker sores
Canker sores in the mouth are tiny ulcers that can affect the gums, inside of the lips and cheeks, the tongue and the roof of the mouth. Some patients may only get one or two in their lifetime, typically due to some sort of irritant or accidentally biting their lip or cheek. Most canker sores will heal in a week, especially if you keep the area around the sore as clean as possible.
But other patients can get severe canker sores that don’t heal or that recur often. This could be due to a number of factors, including stress, food allergies, hormonal shifts or immunity issues. If you have canker sores that are not healing after a week, or seem to be “spreading” see your dentist right away.
- Recent Dental treatment
After treatments like fillings, crowns or dentures; visit a dentist to ensure everything is in shape.
- Sensitivity to hot and cold
Some patients naturally have more sensitive teeth. Tooth sensitivity is typically treated with sensitivity toothpaste. But if you’re experiencing extreme sensitivity to hot and cold (especially if it is sudden or unusual for you), this could indicate a deeper issue. Schedule a visit if you’re experiencing this type of sensitivity.
- Consume tobacco (smoking or chewing)
- Dry mouth
Patients who take a number of antibiotics or are experiencing other health issues may experience dry mouth as a side effect. While dry mouth might not seem like a pressing issue, it can be quite miserable for those who experience it chronically. Plus, chronic dry mouth can lead to other problems, like gum disease. Your dentist may be able to recommend treatment or prescribe special mouthwashes to help mitigate dry mouth.
- Health issues
Getting a checkup if suffering from medical problem (diabetes, heart disease) or going through medical treatment (chemotherapy, radiotherapy is a good way to know whether there will be any implications for your teeth. Dentists can give proper advice and recommend oral treatments.
- Headaches or soreness from grinding teeth
If you wake up in the morning with a headache or neck pain, or find yourself clenching or grinding your teeth throughout the day, you should see your dentist. You might have issues with your temporomandibular joints, or TMJ. TMJ treatment is best handled by a dentist, who can help recommend exercises, stress relief tactics or even devices you can wear at night to ease your symptoms.
There are many other reasons to visit your dentist outside of your regular checkup. Perhaps you’d like to whiten your teeth or make a cosmetic change. Or maybe you just feel like something is “off” with your oral health. Your dentist will be happy to see you and help you achieve your best, most healthful smile.
Children
If you have children, taking them to the dentist routinely is critical to them knowing the importance of good dental hygiene. Their first visit should happen within 6 months of their first tooth appearing. In addition to checking teeth are developing healthily, and no problems are arising, regular dental visits will get them accustomed to dental tools. The more comfortable they are from a young age, the more likely they will be to maintain good dental habits into adulthood.
During a dental check-up
At each check-up, dentist should: examine your teeth, gums and mouth ask about your general health and any problems you’ve had with your teeth, mouth or gums since your last visit ask about, and give you advice on, your diet, smoking and alcohol use, and teeth-cleaning habits discuss a date for your next visit