Monday, December 5, 2016

How Often Should You Visit The Dentist?

dentist showing x-ray to patient
Poor oral hygiene can lead to complications with diabetes, increased risk of developing dementia, and heart attack. Still, with all of these possibilities present, many fail to keep up with regular dentist visits. While the popular belief is that individuals opt out of good oral care to avoid their fears of seeing a local dentist, the truth may be that the masses are not aware of how often they should undergo thorough examinations and cleanings.

The average person should schedule two appointments per year for teeth review and cleaning. Spreading the meeting out by six months is the best way to get the full benefit from visits. Dentists typically inspect the health of your gums during observation. Doctors may also conduct a head and neck exam in which they search for reactions that are out of the ordinary.

Signs of oral cancer, diabetes, and vitamin deficiencies have a way of showing up in your mouth. Your dentist can identify a life-altering illness in time for you to seek treatment and beat the disease.

When is it necessary to see a local dentist more than twice a year?
People with diabetes along with individuals with gum disease may need to schedule dental visits three or four times per year. Pregnant women and those highly susceptible to plaque build-up may also find themselves in the office more often. Smokers, because of their addiction to nicotine, will find that their teeth need a thorough cleaning more often than non-smokers. It may be a good idea for such persons to set aside time for more frequent visits to the doctor's office.

Is it possible to get away with seeing the dentist once per year?
Although they strongly encourage patients to visit their office every six months, some individuals can survive off thorough cleanings and examinations once per year. Such persons include those without significant problems with plaque and gingivitis. The decision to reduce visits, however, should be left up to your hygienist who understands the impact of regular oral hygiene.

Keeping up on your oral hygiene should be viewed with the same importance that people put on other standard health check ups like physicals and cancer screenings. It's nice to bring a nice smile to a presentation at work, but it's more important to maintain your overall health. In any case, visiting your dental care specialist on a regular basis is a smart way to keep yourself healthy in the long term.