This is a common question that our staff and I frequently get asked, most of the time, quite begrudgingly. I simply answer…how often do you want to leave the dentist with a big hole in your wallet?
The pun was intended. Most dentists probably mention if you don’t get examinations and evaluations on a regular basis, the next time you go in for a check up you will probably have a big hole in your tooth. Although this is quite a frightening idea, the thought of paying for such a procedure probably terrifies people more, which is the reasoning for my answer. The less you fork out for your dental work, the more you have to spend on your dream holiday. “Less is more” as the well-known phrase goes.
Less is more, but more is less.
I get it. My team get it. All dentists get it. Going to visit your dentist regularly isn’t that high on everyone’s priority list. You want to spend less time getting holes in teeth fixed, so you can spend more time doing the things you love. And we totally agree.
But here’s the thing. The more you go visit your regular dentist, the less chance you have of developing those big holes in your teeth. That means less chance of having root canals, less chance of getting teeth pulled, and less chance of paying for expensive procedures to replace the missing teeth. It all starts with regular dental visits.
Why regular dental visits are so important?
Regular dental visits are so important in preventing the development and progression of dental disease. Most dental issues aren’t visible or painful until it is really advanced and it is too late to do any preventative and conservative treatment. That means what was originally a simple filling could turn out to be a full-blown root canal or worse, tooth extraction. Regular dental check-ups allow dentists to detect these issues early so they can treat it easily and, more often than not, painlessly.
At Victoria St Dental, we always do a thorough examination and evaluation to screen for cavities, gum disease, other bony pathologies, jaw joint pain and clicks as well as airway and sleep issues at every dental visit. Our comprehensive approach to our examinations ensure that you can leave the dental clinic feeling confident and less anxious about your teeth. We also take extra time educating everyone on the importance of oral hygiene to ensure we can avoid dental complications in the future
As a general rule of thumb, it is advised to have a regular examination and evaluation as well as a gingival debridement and clean every 6 months or twice a year. Things can change very quickly in the mouth, so we want to ensure that we can identify this as soon as possible to be able to treat it as conservatively as possible.
Who should go to the dentist more often?
The simple answer is that people should attend the dentist at least twice a year for a regular examination and evaluation. However, there are those who are more at risk at developing dental disease. These people require more frequent visits, i.e every 3 months or more. They include, but not limited to:
- Smokers
- Diabetics
- People with a weakened immune system
- People who tend to get more decay and cavities
- Elderly
- Pregnant women
- People who have a dry mouth
- Children