Why Do You Need Dental CheckUps?
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Dental Checkups
Why Do I Need To Have Dental CheckUps?
Dental checkups or exams are important to keep your permanent teeth healthy for the rest of your life. It is recommended to have a dental checkup done twice a year. For most people this is enough, but in some cases where there is dental problems such as gum disease, you may need to see your dentist every 3 months. Having regular dental checkups or exams not only assures that you keep a healthy mouth, but also a healthy body. Also it will save you a ton of money because it will prevent major dental procedures that cost a lot. Some people avoid going to the dentist every six months due to finances, but what they don’t realize is that it will actually cost them more money in the long run. It is so much less expensive for preventive care or even a small cavity than anything major like root canals and crowns.
What does dental checkups and exams consist of?
Dental checkups consist of an oral examination, necessary x-rays and a professional cleaning as well as fluoride treatment if needed. During the oral exams, the doctor checks your teeth for cavities, checks for any broken fillings, checks to see if you have a broken or cracked tooth, examens your gums for gum disease and checks the entire mouth for oral cancer. Although the dentist can see cavities on the outside surfaces of the teeth, x-rays are necessary for detecting caries in between teeth and also it will show the dentist how deep the cavities are. The type of cleaning will depend on your last cleaning and how much plaque buildup you have accumulated during that time. If you religiously have it done every 6 months and you do a good home care, then all you need is a regular cleaning and polish. But if you have not had a cleaning done for let’s say a few years, then you may need a deep cleaning or scaling and root planning (especially if you have gum disease).
What is scaling and polishing?
Brushing and flossing is not enough to get rid of the hardened tartar. The only way to remove this is by doing a scaling around the gums and even under the gums. Dental polishing can remove the stains from the teeth. It uses a small rotating device attached to a rubber end. It removes tartar as well as stains due to cigarette use, coffee and food stains.
What else is done at this visit?
Health history review is also a part of a oral exams. It analyzes previous dental problems which resulted to the present condition of the oral cavity. It also addresses nutrition and fluid intake of the patient. Illnesses such as diabetes is noted. Diabetic patients are more prone to infections which at times it can be dangerous. It has been proven that patients with diabetes have higher chances of having gingivitis or gum disease, and the gum disease because it’s an infection, will cause your diabetes to be uncontrolled.
There are so many other health problems that are linked with problems in the mouth. That is why it is said that your overall health is also dependent on your dental health. Diseases in the mouth can cause serious health issues. Another benefit to this checkups appointment is that you can ask all your questions from your doctor. Whether it’s about a problem you’ve been having, such as sensitivity or maybe you are considering braces or teeth whitening. Your dentist will be happy to answer all your questions. Don’t forget that preventive care is the best and most cost effective way to stay healthy. If you continue with your regular six month checkups and exams, you won’t have any major treatment to do, so then your out of pocket cost will be minimal because dental exams, X-rays and cleaning are not expensive. And if once in a while your doctor finds a small problem, it is much cheaper to take care of than when it becomes big.
By: Ladan Zinati
20 Comments
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This is a great article! It has opened my eyes to having regular dental check ups done. I will be scheduling mine tomorrow to make sure my teeth and gums are still healthy.
Hi Michael. Wise decision. I am glad my article on dental checkups motivated you to make an appointment with your dentist.
It seems quite obvious a regular dental check up can reduce the possibility of various type of dental and oral diseases one may overlook before it is too late to fix the problem. It is just too important for anyone of us to ignore it if we want a healthy mouth.
Hi Jefferey. Yes, you are definitely right. Thanks for the feedback.
I have never really considered scaling and polishing before. I thought that if you did not have a cavity you did not need a dentist. I know realize a dentist visit is very important.
Hi Marlon. I am glad you learned how important regular dental checkups and cleanings are :)
By this article, it looks like it is very important to keep up your regular dental check-ups. The dentist can detect any abnormal problems that could lead to diseases, etc. and maybe be able to treat them before they had gone beyond treating.
Yes, Cathie. You got it. It is very important to keep up with your regular dental checkups for all the above reasons and more.
There are different types of health problems for mouth. So I think that everybody needs to care about his/her dental matter. As our overall health is also dependent on our dental health.
Yes, Mamun. Our overall health does definitely depend on our dental health.
This is a great article. Even though I know the importance of regular dental checkups, I sometimes forget. Thanks to your great staff, they never let me forget:)
Well this is a great article. i have a habit to skip my regular dental check ups and now after reading this I just thought not to avoid my check ups any more all thanks to you and i feel if we consult a doc he need to provide some tips which can prevent us from various dental problems because my doc who is working for http://www.positivedental.com do provide some tips when ever i go for checkups .
It’s actually an incredible and also useful piece of details. I’m just thankful that you simply embraced this handy facts with us. You should keep us all knowledgeable like that. We appreciate you expressing.
Thank you and come back anytime.
I didin’t have dental checkups for the last 2 years just because I thought that if I didin’t have any cavities and I brushed my teeth twice a day( and to save money like you say) so I dont need to go to see dentist. But after reading your article I do realize how important to have regular dental checkups is. Thanks for sharing this informative article.
Phuong, you are very welcome. And don’t feel like you are the only one thinking this way. Many people also think that as long as they are doing a good job cleaning their teeth at home that they don’t need to visit the dentist.
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