Maintaining healthy teeth and gums requires routine dental examinations. Although the American Dental Association advises seeing a dentist in Burlington at least once a year, scheduling an appointment every six months helps avoid a number of oral health issues.
The hallmark of contemporary dentistry is prevention. This may be accomplished in a variety of ways, such as by urging patients to use mouthwash, fluoridated toothpaste, a balanced diet, brushing, and flossing. A semi-annual inspection and dental prophylaxis, sometimes referred to as “The Check Up” or a “Six Month Recall,” which entails a professional cleaning of your teeth, are the usual forms of prevention in the dentist office.
The fundamental elements of each six-month visit include:
Examining and updating your medical and dental records
Screening for blood pressure
Screening for oral cancer
examination of the gums and teeth to look for infections or cavities.
The standard of care for radiographic examinations is digital x-rays. The patient is not at danger for any health problems from routine x-rays. Science and research have shown this. We show patients exactly what we see and explain it to them.
Additionally, we do some specialty exams for individuals wearing night guards, retainers, Invisalign, dentures, or implants.
A thorough professional cleaning of your mouth, followed by tooth polishing and some oral hygiene advice, is known as oral prophylaxis.
The dentist will go over all of the results and x-rays during the visit, make any required diagnosis, and suggest a course of treatment.
Justifications for visiting every six months:
PREVENT PLAQUE: Packed with dangerous germs, plaque is a sticky substance that adheres to your teeth and gum line. Plaque accumulation results in gum disease, tooth decay, and tooth discolouration. You may avoid these issues and maintain healthy, white teeth by seeing a dentist every six months.
PREVENT TOOTH DECAY: Tooth decay may be promptly identified by dentists. Cavities are quite simple to repair when they are tiny. Smaller cavities will get larger if you put off your appointment, which might result in crowns, root canal therapy, or even tooth loss. This entails higher expenses, chairside time, and therapy.
STOP GUM DISEASE: Before it worsens, dentists may prevent gum disease at its earliest stage. It may result in discomfort, edema, bone loss, wobbly teeth, and finally tooth loss if treatment is not received.
SAVE MONEY: Early detection of oral health issues reduces long-term dental treatment expenses. Maintaining your teeth on a regular basis lowers your risk of getting complex diseases.
IMPROVE YOUR SMILE: To give you that million-dollar smile, we offer a variety of procedures that may be performed at your regular examinations to whiten, brighten, straighten, and clean your teeth.
What Makes a Dentist Visit?
Although you might assume that a dental examination consists just of cleaning your teeth, your dentist does much more than just polish your teeth. Frequent dental examinations are crucial because they enable your dentist to:
Find cavities early. When cavities are still little, your dentist checks your teeth. Cavities are less expensive to treat the sooner they are discovered.
Early detection of gum disease is key. Many gum disease sufferers are unaware that they have the condition.
Find oral cancer in its early stages. For indications of oral cancer, your dentist can examine your mouth. This is particularly crucial if you use tobacco products or smoke.
Examine your fillings. Your dentist will inspect your fillings to ensure they are secure and to look for any decay or defects.
Catch foul breath or dry mouth. Dry mouth and foul breath can be detected and treated by your dentist.
Examine your dental hygiene. You may develop and sustain healthy oral hygiene habits with the assistance of your dentist and hygienist.
Defend your general well-being. Studies have connected diabetes and heart disease to gum disease.
Protect your family’s dental health. Children also require dental care. One of the most prevalent chronic infectious disorders affecting children in the United States is tooth decay.
What kinds of dental issues are there?
Gum disease and tooth decay are the two main types of dental issues. You may combat these two issues with the assistance of your dentist.
decay of the teeth. The breakdown of the tooth’s enamel is known as tooth decay. When carbohydrate-containing foods—such as sugars and starches—are left on teeth, it occurs. These foods provide a food source for oral bacteria. They generate acids that can lead to dental decay by destroying tooth enamel. At any age, tooth decay can occur.
gum disease. A persistent bacterial infection that damages the gums and bone that supports the teeth is known as gum (periodontal) disease. A less severe type of gum disease that just affects the gums is gingivitis. Unfortunately, periodontitis, a more severe and damaging kind of gum disease, can develop from gingivitis.