It’s stressed over and over: that you should visit your dentist twice annually (every year). Why is this stressed so often? Well, for one: because it’s important.
The Importance of Visiting Your Dentist
Regular dental visits are important because they help keep our gums and teeth healthy. Here, let us give you an analogy. Take your car for example. For most people, they bring them in for service at regular intervals. Either once a year or after every certain amount of miles driven, or if you just want to make sure everything is running smoothly because of the problems you noticed. While you’re there, your mechanic or garage will inspect all parts of your car, make sure they are working well, and then top off all necessary fluids and send you on your way. In case anything must be fixed, you will be notified of the issue & the cost to repair it.
Dental Cleanings are Like Car Maintenance
This analogy can also be applied to regular dental cleanings & check-ups in the sense that your dentist is the garage/mechanic and your oral health is the car. Twice annually is when you should take your oral health in for service at your dentist. Your dentist will inspect the mouth in an oral examination, give you a thorough cleaning & polishing, and if anything is out of place you will be recommended the necessary procedure to correct it, as well as the costs involved. Otherwise, you’re on your way with a fresh mouth & clean teeth.
What You Should Do In Between Visits
If your dentist recommends a specific procedure to be performed, then be sure to follow all instructions. Most often times it’s deep cleaning or more frequent visits in order to monitor periodontal disease.
However, if the dentist dismisses you with no issues found, then continue your normal routine of brushing at least twice per day and flossing at least once per day in order to stay healthy. You should never slack with your oral hygiene routine, especially if it’s second nature to you.
Problems May Occur at Any Given Time
Keep in mind that even the best brushers & flossers run into problems with their teeth and gums. Unfortunately, genes and our hereditary play a large role in the development of issues. With that said, even if you believe you do not need a check-up and could skip on it for the year, we would still highly recommend you still visit your dentist and receive confirmation on your oral health by a certified professional.