There are, of course, many factors that affect your overall oral health. Some things are out of your control completely, like your genetic makeup! Other things, like your oral hygiene routine, are well within your limits of control.
Another very important part of a healthy smile is maintaining routine care appointments. It’s easy to dismiss these appointments as a waste of time or money, but in the long run, these quick checkups will save your loads of time, money, and discomfort!
Did you know that a single implant restoration costs about as much as several years of routine dental cleanings? That’s just to replace one tooth! What happens when you end up needing to replace ALL of your teeth?
We want to take some time today to really look at that six month appointment and what it can do for your smile. After all, an ounce of prevention really is worth a pound of cure!
Is a Cleaning Every Six Months Necessary?
Is a cleaning necessary every six months? YES! Especially if you want to avoid dental problems like decay, gum disease, and injury! The six month is a well-known standard. It is the perfect time for your teeth to build up enough plaque that a cleaning is needed without leaving plaque in your mouth long enough to cause any real damage.
Not For Everyone
With that being said, six month cleanings are not right for everyone. Some people are weak enamel, compromised immune systems, and a history of oral health issues. For these people, we recommend appoints every 2-4 months because they cannot handle plaque in their mouth for any longer than that without seeing decay or infection.
What Happens at a Cleaning
You might be wondering what exactly happens at this dental cleaning to make it so worth your time. Let’s take a look at that next! After all, if we are going to ask you to make this a priority, we want to explain exactly WHY it is a priority and how you will benefit from it!
Prophylaxis: Prophylaxis is the scientific word for a dental cleaning. We will use special instruments and tools to remove plaque and bacteria from your teeth and below the gum line. This will protect you from decay and gum disease infection.
X-rays: At every other cleaning appointment, we will take a round of digital X-rays. These X-rays allow us to monitor the growth of your teeth, but we can also see signs of decay and injury to your roots through the high-quality digital images.
Exam: The dental exam happens after your cleaning is complete. We are looking for signs of problems for your teeth or gums. We are also checking your past restorations to be sure that they are still stable and functioning properly. We can also answer any questions or concerns you might have about bad breath, dry mouth, pain you’re experiencing, etc.
VELscope: A very important part of your appointment is a scan with our VELscope. This is a state of the art tool that scans your mouth for abnormal growths or cells that could be a sign of oral cancer. The sooner we catch oral cancer, the better your chances of survival.
Your Prevention Against Monumental Damage
A routine dental appointment is like car maintenance. Every 5,000 miles, you have your car checked, change the oil, and have your tires rotated. By going in on a regular basis, you will catch anything amiss early enough to take care of it before it causes the demise of your car.
Your routine dental appointment is a little check, a routine cleaning, and a conversation to ensure that your smile will keep functioning as it should for the rest of your life!
Get a Healthier Smile at Your Next Appointment
Are you ready for a healthier smile? Make an appointment today by calling us on the phone or using our contact form through the website. Either way, we will get you on the calendar as quickly as we can so that you can have the happy, healthy smile of your dreams!
We can’t wait to see you very soon!
