What Is the Importance of Regular Dental Check-ups?

What Is a Dental Check-Up? 

Tooth pain or significant visible plaque buildup should not be your only reason to visit the dentist. Instead, you should see a dentist regularly, even if you are not experiencing any dental problems, to help prevent cavities or other tooth problems and catch concerns that do come up as early as possible. These regular dental checkups are a regular opportunity for your dentist to evaluate your teeth and recommend steps you can take to improve your health based on your current condition. 

What Are the Benefits of Regular Dental Check-Ups? 

Regular dental check-ups allow your dentist to keep your teeth cleaner than you can with at-home oral hygiene products. They can also help to prevent a wide range of tooth, gum, and mouth problems, such as gum disease, oral cancer, and tooth decay, as well as detect these problems when they are less significant and easier to treat if they do occur. Your oral health can even contribute to seemingly unrelated health problems, such as diabetes or heart disease, which means that regular dental visits can be important in improving your overall health. 

What Happens During a Dental Check-Up? 

Most people should schedule a regular dental check-up approximately every six months. Still, your dentist may recommend more frequent visits if you experience more cavities or plaque buildup than average or are particularly susceptible to developing certain oral health conditions. The specific components of this type of visit can vary slightly depending on the specific needs of your teeth, but most dental checkups include: 

• A thorough examination of your teeth and gums to search for cavities, gum disease, or other signs of a problem that needs to be addressed
• X-rays to locate cavities that are too small to see or hidden between the teeth 
• Deep cleaning of your teeth to remove plaque that is too strong to be effectively managed with regular brushing 
• Professional fluoride treatment to strengthen your enamel to help prevent cavities 

What Other Preventative Care Does Center Ridge Dental Professionals Offer? 

Regular dental check-ups are just one aspect of the ongoing preventative options that can help keep your teeth and mouth healthy over time. We also offer the following:

• Teeth Cleaning: Professional cleaning that goes beyond what brushing, flossing, and other at-home oral hygiene products can provide
• Complete Oral Exams: To search for a wide range of potential problems when they are less advanced and easier to treat 
• Oral Cancer Screening: To increase your dentist’s chances of locating this condition before it reaches an advanced stage 
• Children’s Dentistry: Help your children learn good oral hygiene habits before their permanent teeth come in 
• Night Guards: Protect your teeth while you sleep, especially if you are prone to grinding your teeth at night 
• Sports Guards: Protect your teeth while playing sports, especially those with a high level of potential to cause severe tooth injuries