How Often Are Dental Exams and Cleanings Essential?
Are you trying to wonder how often you should visit dentists for a dental exam and cleaning? The American Dental Association recommends everyone get dental checkups at six-monthly intervals or as advised by their dental care providers. It doesn’t matter if you think your teeth are clean, and you don’t need to visit dentists by spending additional money for a dental exam. However, it helps if you understand that getting your teeth cleaned regularly is essential for supporting good overall health.
Professional dental cleaning and exam are part of your twice-yearly visits to your dentist as a preventive measure to ensure you are not affected by tooth decay or gum disease. Your dentist also examines your mouth to detect abnormal lumps or lesions that might indicate the presence of oral cancer in your mouth. You must consider the visits to your dentist for exams and cleanings as a precautionary measure to prevent untoward incidents that may require expensive treatments later when you least expect it.
Why Mustn’t You Fear Dental Exams?
Dental exams are merely an evaluation of your dental and oral health. The exams will likely not cause any anxiety because the dentist merely examines your teeth for signs of tooth decay, gums for symptoms of disease, and other parts of your mouth to detect signs of oral cancer. They may also request x-rays to see signs of micro-cavities between your teeth and provide treatment if they notice any before the problem aggravates. The dentist completes the exams and cleanings within the hour, leaving you free to carry on with your regular activities with peace in mind that your mouth is healthy.
Are Dental Cleanings necessary?
You may brush and floss your teeth every day and even refrain from sticky and starchy foods. However, can you guarantee you can eliminate all plaque developing on your teeth constantly using your manual toothbrush or even an electric toothbrush? While you may succeed in removing most plaque from your teeth, some leftovers can remain between your teeth to harden into tartar within 48 hours.
When you allow the accumulation of plaque and tartar over your teeth without six-monthly cleanings from your dentist, you become prone to gum disease, a severe condition requiring lifelong maintenance as no cure is available for the infection. However, if you visit your dentist for exams and cleanings, you also benefit from the cleaning the hygienist performs after your dental exam.
The hygienist removes all plaque and tartar from above and below the gum line during routine dental cleanings to prevent gum disease from developing. They also give you a flossing demonstration besides polishing your teeth to eliminate any leftover bits of plaque between your teeth and remove surface stains.
Finally, you receive a fluoride treatment to battle against cavities by strengthening your tooth enamel for several months. If you don’t get your teeth cleaned every six months, you do not benefit from any of the above and may become prone to infections in your mouth needing expensive treatments.
Should You Get Your Teeth Cleaned during Coronavirus?
The WHO advised against visiting dentists to get teeth cleaned during coronavirus. However, dentists differ from the WHO’s view and state that routine dental care is essential for overall health, especially for people with diabetes, heart disease, and Immunodeficiencies. Therefore if you cannot get to your dentist during the coronavirus pandemic, you can try seeking treatment from an urgent care center to get your teeth cleaned during this devastating pandemic.
You must not avoid the twice-yearly dental checkup recommended by the American Dental Association. Dental infections left untreated in your mouth can affect your overall health to cause various health complications needing treatments from different medical professionals. Therefore dental visits are essential to care for your dental and overall health.
What Can You Do between Dental Exams and Cleanings?
Between dental exams and things, you must ensure you maintain excellent dental hygiene, brushing twice daily, flossing at least once, limiting or avoiding sugary and starchy foods, having a healthy diet, and looking forward to your next appointment with your dentist for preventive care you need to keep yourself healthy.
Dental exams and cleanings are essential for every member of your family, including children and senior citizens. Instead of avoiding dental visits and fearing the coronavirus pandemic, you must try searching for dental professionals who provide services even in difficult times, especially for routine cleanings and exams.