how often should you go to the dentist?

 

Maintaining healthy teeth and a healthy mouth is a key aspect of good health in general. That’s why regular dental visits are so important. As with most things, prevention is better than cure when it comes to your dental health, and dental visits are a key tool in the battle to prevent dental problems developing in the first place.

But how often should you go to the dentist? This is something that’s impacted by a variety of factors, including your age. Children are advised to attend dental visits twice a year from when their first tooth appears. 

For adults and older children, it’s advised that they attend dental check-ups three times per year, and that’s because the risk of problems such as plaque, gum disease and other dental issues rises from adolescence onwards.

 

Who Should Go to a Dentist Often?

 

It’s important that everyone attends their dental check-ups, but there are also some people who are at a higher risk of developing problems and they should get checked out more regularly. Gum disease is more common, for example, in pregnant women so they definitely need to stay on top of their check-ups.

People who smoke are more at risk of dental issues so should take extra care to attend visits. The same applies to people with diabetes, people with weakened immune systems, anyone vulnerable to tooth decay, as well as heart disease and cancer patients.

 

Dental Visits for Children

It’s vital to get children into the habit of regularly attending dental check-ups. This is something that should be done within the first six months after their first tooth appears. Those regular visits early on in their life will help them to feel more familiar with the dentist and more at ease with the whole check-up process. Good dental health habits in early childhood should carry on throughout adulthood too.

 

The Benefits of Regular Dental Check-ups

If you’re wondering why exactly it’s so important to see a dentist regularly, the benefits below should give you a better idea.

 

1. Find Potential Problems Early

When your dentist checks your teeth and mouth, one of the things they’ll do is check for any early signs of things like oral cancer and other potential emerging problems.

 

2. Help Prevent Tooth Decay, Cavities, Tartar and Plaque

Your hygienist in Forest Hill will clean the parts of the mouth that are the hardest to reach. These are the parts that won’t get cleaned properly at home. In doing so, they prevent the build-up of tartar and plaque, reducing the risk of cavities and tooth decay.

 

3. Avoid Gum Disease Developing

Gum disease can be highly damaging to your mouth and your health in general if it develops and goes untreated. Your dentist in Forest Hill can detect it early and provide you with the treatment you need.

 

4. Help Avoid Premature Tooth Loss

Perhaps the most drastic outcome of tooth decay is tooth loss, and that’s what you’ll want to avoid at all costs. Dental check-ups make it possible for action to be taken before tooth loss is necessary.

 

What You Can Do to Protect Your Dental Health at Home

 

Good dental care at home is one thing you should think about if you want to avoid dental procedures being necessary in the future. That means brushing twice daily, ideally with a good electric toothbrush, as well as flossing and using mouthwash for as much protection as possible.

Prevention is the most important part of modern dentistry. And it’s what’s best for patients too. If you want to avoid problems with your dental health and the procedures that come with those problems, good care at home and regular dental check-ups are essential.