The American Dental Association recommends that you visit your dentist for a check-up every six months because regular dental visits are vital to maintaining a healthy mouth. While the good oral hygiene habits you practice every day, such as brushing and flossing, are necessary, it’s essential that you also receive a professional exam and cleaning.
Why Are Regular Dental Check-Ups Essential?
At your regular dental check-up, we will perform important examinations that you can’t do on your own at home. For example, we will check for cavities not only by sight, but with X-rays, if need be. We also check your mouth for tooth decay, evaluate the health of your gums, check your jaw alignment, perform a head and neck examination to look for anything out of the ordinary, and examine your mouth for signs of oral cancer, vitamin deficiencies, and even diabetes.
Beyond examining you for dental health issues, we have the tools to remove plaque and tartar from your mouth that you don’t have at home. You can prevent plaque from developing by brushing and flossing, but you can’t remove tartar. It is essential to remove these because they can lead to very serious health problems such as gum disease.
What Happens at a Dental Check-Up?
After we’ve checked your teeth, gums, head, neck, and jaw for signs of dental health issues, we’ll start cleaning your teeth. First, we scale your teeth. Scaling involves a manual hand instrument with a curved, pointy end that removes plaque from the surface of your teeth and in between them. Once the plaque is removed, we’ll polish your teeth with a gritty paste that helps to remove any surface stains on your teeth. Finally, we’ll finish cleaning your teeth by flossing between your teeth.
What Should You Do Between Dental Check-Ups?
It’s important that you continue to brush your teeth twice a day, floss and rinse daily, use a fluoride toothpaste, and keep a healthy diet. These essential oral hygiene practices will ensure that your teeth stay healthy between dental check-ups and make your check-ups much less painful.
If it’s been more than six months since we’ve last seen you, call us today to schedule a dental check-up!
We make sure each and every one of our clients’ needs and concerns are addressed in a caring and thoughtful manner. We want your experience to be as enjoyable and efficient as possible here at Williamsville Family Dentistry in Williamsville, NY.