Dentists are regularly emphasizing the importance of regular dental exams and checkups to keep your teeth and gums healthy. They recommend you to visit them every 6 months for a dental checkup. Why do dentists require everything done twice? They ask people to brush twice a day, visit them twice a year, and ask patients to use more than two products at one time for maintaining proper oral hygiene.
Dentists do not recommend everything to be done twice. They provide their suggestions to the patient once hoping that he or she would follow the same diligently. Unfortunately, people avoid dental visits like the plague and may perhaps also behave similarly with their teeth. It is this understanding that makes dentists recommend twice of everything to ensure their patients do not overlook the advice and take good care of their oral health.
What Happens During a Regular Dental Visit?
The dental visit is also divided into two parts. The first part is the examination and the second is the cleaning.
Patients should be happy their visit is also divided into two parts because during the dental checkup the dental professional will look for cavities, take digital x-rays to detect cavities between the teeth, and also check for plaque and tartar on the teeth.
Plaque is a sticky layer of bacteria that is clear but if it is left on the teeth can harden and convert into tartar. Tartar cannot be removed by brushing or flossing and will need the help of a professional if a buildup is allowed to develop on the teeth. Plaque and tartar can also cause oral conditions.
An examination will also be conducted to determine if you’re suffering from gum disease. Special tools will be used to measure the depth of the spaces between your gums and teeth. Healthy gums will have shallow spaces but the spaces become deeper with gum disease.
A careful examination of your tongue, face, head, neck, and throat will also be conducted looking for signs of trouble in the form of redness, swelling, or signs of cancer.
Examination over — What Next
After the examination, your dentist will clean your teeth during the visit. You would have removed plaque from your teeth by brushing at home but removing tartar is another subject. The dental professional will again be using special tools to remove the tartar in a process called scaling.
After the scaling is over your teeth will be polished with a gritty toothpaste. This is to remove any surface stains on your teeth. The final step is a professional course in flossing. The dental professional will use floss to make sure the areas between your teeth are nice and clean.
Steps You Should Follow between Each Dental Visit
Visiting your dentist every six months is not enough to keep your teeth and gums healthy along with your oral health. The formation of plaque does not stop at any stage and therefore needs constant attention. If you are brushing and flossing regularly you can take care of the plaque but if you ignore or forget the routine suggested by your dentist you could very well allow tartar to develop and invite problems upon yourself. Therefore here are some tips that you can adopt for good oral care at home.
Brush your teeth at least twice a day for two minutes each with a fluoride toothpaste.
Floss every day.
Plaque bacteria can be controlled with a mouthwash which will also help to freshen your breath.
Some Facts about Dental Exams and Checkups
If you wish to keep your teeth and gums healthy you must visit your dentist regularly because he or she is a qualified professional that understands your teeth better.
Do not believe the checkup is just to determine the condition of your mouth but also undergo the cleaning which is needed.
During the dental checkup allow the dental professional to check your oral health for any troublesome spots.
Accept the cleaning of the plaque and tartar as well as the polishing as a bonus of the dental visit.
Your dental visits should be scheduled every six months or as recommended by your dental professional.
If you are unwilling or reluctant to accept the recommendations and tips it would be unfortunate but you would soon receive a recommendation for frequently visiting the dentist for additional dental care. Dentistry in Alpharetta and Dr. Sabbagh would both hope you follow the tips and recommendations but would be happy to help you if you need any assistance with your dental care.