We all take leave when we are not keeping well or being sick. However, if we would have taken health leave to stay fit, there is a higher chance that we don’t need to take any sick leave. Same is true with our oral health. If we make time to do a regular dental check-up, then there would be no need for painful dental treatment. But the important question is how often one should do a general dental check-up?
What happens during a general dental check-up?
Let’s first understand what happens during a general dental check-up, so that we understand the importance of this visit. Here is what a dentist does during a general dental check-up:
- Professional Cleaning: You may think you can clean your teeth thoroughly with your toothbrush and toothpaste. However, you will be surprised to know the fact that there are places between our teeth that the bush cannot reach. There are deposits on our teeth like plaque and stains where no amount of brushing can do any good. Dentist gets a better view and has better tools to deep cleanse our teeth.
- Spotting of cavity: Regular dental checkup can spot an early cavity that you can start taking care of and prevent further tooth decay. If the cavity needs to be filled then you can take care of it before it turns into a bigger problem like gum infection that needs root canal treatment to save the tooth.
- Stain removing and polishing of teeth: Further the dentist can clean your tough stain on your teeth and polish them to make a protective layer.
How often one should do a general dental check-up?
It is a general recommendation that one should visit the dentist for a general check-up once in 6 months. Now while this is a general recommendation, one should understand their overall oral health and do their regular visits. If you have weaker gums or tendency to get cavities then you should have more visits. In case if you don’t have any idea of how often you need to visit your dentist, then we recommend you once consult your dentist to understand this.
