Introduction
Regular dental check-ups and cleans are an important part of maintaining health. This includes the teeth, soft tissues around the teeth, the smile, and even the general health of your body. Your regular dental check up should be done regardless of you feeling any problems with your teeth.
Benefits of Regular Dental Check-Ups
So why should you see a dentist when you don’t feel any problems? This is actually the best time to see a dentist – when you don’t feel any problems. Most dental issues are completely symptom free until the problem progresses into a large problem. But with the knowledge that we have in the dental industry, we can treat and manage issues before they become an actual problem. This means it is possible to never need to ever experience serious tooth aches or infections because we can sort those before they cause trouble.
So if there’s decay starting to develop, regular dental check ups can help us identify the teeth involved and get it sorted. It’s all about early detection. This means smaller fillings, which are much more biologically sound for the teeth. In some cases we can prevent those fillings completely.
Regular dental check ups also help us identify other tooth related issues such as wear, or crack formation. We can then manage the conditions that cause these and hopefully prevent further damage.
On top of looking at your teeth, our dentists also screen your mouth for other pathologies such as oral cancer and gum disease. We also look at your jaw joint to ensure proper function of the mouth. Periodic x-rays are also recommended so that we can screen for pathologies of the bone (such as cysts), and abscesses.
Importance of Dental Cleanings
Regular dental cleans are extremely important. Not only does this keep your teeth and smile looking good, but it also benefits your gums.
Over time, teeth always develop stains. Unfortunately, this is almost universal due to our human diet. If stains are left on the teeth, eventually the stains can be internalised by the tooth. This is where the stains become permanently incorporated into the tooth structure and cannot be cleaned off easily. Regular cleans help to remove stains before they become internalised. This keeps your teeth looking pearly white, and your smile fresh.
If you have any fillings, veneers, ceramic crowns or implants, regular dental cleans help to keep these looking new and fresh. Just like teeth, over time all restorative materials can age and degrade over time. Regular cleans can help reduce this, and minimise any stains they may pick up.
Regular check ups and cleans go a lot further than keeping your teeth looking good. No matter how well we brush at home, there are always spots that cannot be reached with a toothbrush, floss and mouthwash (if you use it). Over time, plaque will build up to cause some degree of inflammation of the gums. This is known as gingivitis. Everyone has some degree of gingivitis. If we allow the plaque to accumulate, the gingivitis will go from mild to moderate to severe, and eventually start to cause issues with the bone that supports the teeth. In addition, there is recent research which shows a link between gum disease and heart disease and diabetes. Regular cleans help to keep your gums nice and healthy.
Frequency and Timing
For most people, we recommend a regular check-up and clean every 6 months, or twice a year. This is a general recommendation and may vary from person to person. A person that is more susceptible to gum disease may be recommended to visit every 3 months, whereas some people are recommended to be seen every 12 months. A routine check-up and clean is typically 30-40 minutes. It is best to see your dentist for professional advice on how often you should be seen for a regular check-up and clean.
Building Healthy Habits
Seeing your dentist on a regular basis for routine checkups and cleans is important. Not only does this go a long way in maintaining your teeth and smile, but it is also important for your overall health. Your adult teeth enter your mouth from between the ages of 6 and 12 years old. For them to last a lifetime, they do need to have regular maintenance. And as always, prevention is much better than cure (and also cheaper!). Generally, if you haven’t seen your dentist for a little while please remember to book in for a check up and clean. It is an important part of a holistic health routine.
Between dental visits it is important to keep your teeth as clean as possible. For most people, we recommend brushing twice a day – morning and night. Each brushing should last for around 2 minutes, using a fluoride based toothpaste. It doesn’t really matter if you use an electric or manual toothbrush, as long as you use it well! Flossing once a day is also an important habit to get into.
Conclusion
At Iconic Dentistry, we work with our patients to be proactive in their dental health. We aim to detect and manage issues before they become problematic so that you can go on and enjoy all the fun things in life without having to worry about your teeth and oral health. If it’s been more than 6 months since your last dental visit, or if you have any dental concerns we would love to look after you. Call us to book for your check up and clean.
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