Cavities

Have you ever wondered why your dentist recommends to re-visit the office every six months? Well, its time you know the reason behind it. Routine dental check-ups are crucial for long term maintenance of oral health for toddlers, young children, tweens and teens. Usually, dentists recommend that the first visit of a child should be as soon as one year of age. This helps to build the foundation for the excellent health of teeth and gums. Moreover, it also impacts the overall well-being of the child, both physically and mentally. Routine dental check-ups have several benefits, such as early detection and prevention of dental diseases such as tooth decay, the need for orthodontics and more. If you are considering skipping your next routine dental appointment, you might want to read further to weigh your options. In today’s article, we will discuss the importance of routine dental check-ups. Furthermore, we will highlight the benefits of a regular dental check-up. Generally, a routine dental check-up is performed in two phases –

Examination-

During the examination, either Dr. Holly, Dr. Iwase, Dr. Curtis, Dr. Colven or Dr. Shah will identify tooth decay or abnormalities that may negatively affect the health of the teeth and gums.  Additionally, the dentist also evaluates the degree of plaque and calculus on the tooth surface. Dental plaque is typically a sticky layer of bacteria and debris that forms on the surface of the teeth. Improper oral hygiene practice can lead to the hardening of the plaque called calculus. Excessive accumulation of plaque and calculus usually initiates oral diseases.

After tooth examination, the gums’ health is evaluated using a periodontal probe to check the depth of the spaces between the teeth and gums. In a healthy mouth, the gums are firmly attached to the tooth surface. Lastly, the dentist evaluates the health of your throat, tongue, and other soft tissues in the mouth. Moreover, they may also consider extra-oral signs such as redness or swelling associated with the face, head, and neck.

Oral prophylaxis-

Once a thorough dental examination is performed, the hygienist may proceed to clean your teeth. During this procedure, the hygienist may use either an ultrasonic scaler or hand instrument to loosen and remove the mineralized calculus from the tooth surface. Moreover, dental professionals also clean the interdental spaces and areas which are hard to clean with a toothbrush. After scaling, the tooth surface is polished using a gritty paste to remove the surface stains present on the tooth. Finally, every interdental space is flossed to ensure complete cleaning of the teeth. Ideally, it is best to visit a dentist every six months to maintain proper health and hygiene. What is the importance of routine dental check-ups? A routine dental check-up is essential for the following reasons; routine dental check-ups help the dentist to identify early signs of tooth decay and cavity formation. Furthermore, it helps to evaluate the patient’s oral hygiene status by looking at the amount of plaque and calculus formed on the tooth surface.

Such steps can lead to prompt treatment and prevention of extensive tooth damaging conditions. Moreover, professional teeth cleaning reduces the number of disease-producing bacteria in the mouth. They are thereby enhancing the oral health of the patient. Regular dental appointments help kids to maintain good relationships with the dentist. Moreover, it establishes a healthy communication where you as a parent can discuss all the concerns you have regarding your child’s oral health. Moreover, it is a great way for children to be familiar with the dental office environment to reduce nervousness and anxiety. Regular dental check-ups help to restore and redefine the health status of your mouth. It is a fact that our oral health is directly linked with the overall health and well-being of an individual. There are clinical links between poor oral hygiene and diabetes or heart disease. Moreover, osteoporosis and cancer are also common conditions associated with poor oral health. Therefore, it is essential to take every preventive measure to maintain the health of your child’s teeth and gums. Restorative dental treatments can be expensive. However, preventive dental treatments are far less costly. Moreover, most dental insurance plans cover the cost of two routine dental check-ups in a year.