The Importance of Regular Dental Care
It’s common knowledge in the US that you’re supposed to see a dentist every 6 months for professional dental care like cleanings and yearly x-rays. And we all know the whole brush-and-floss sermon. But why do we do it? If you’re healthy and have no issues with your gums or teeth, why do you need to see your family dentist so often? Good news: we’ve got answers.
Here’s a quick rundown –
Getting Professional Dental Care Every 6 Months
Reasons it just makes sense to take an hour out of your day twice a year to go get a dental cleaning and exam:
- Your dentist can detect tooth decay early on, before cavities form.
- Your dentist can identify gum disease before it’s actually “gum disease” and can intervene.
- Your dentist can spot early signs of oral cancer.
- It’s good to regularly get your fillings checks for cracks or looseness.
- You get all the tartar and plaque scraped out of every nook and cranny, lessening your risk for decay and infection of the teeth or gums.
- Keeping regular appointments for dental cleanings is way cheaper than dealing with tooth extractions, root canals and dental implants.
Making Sure Your At-Home Dental Care is On Point
Unfortunately, we can’t phone-in our at home dental hygiene and count on the 6-month cleanings to keep our smiles healthy. Your daily dental care should include:
- Brushing your teeth for at least 1 min 2x/day.
- Flossing at least 1x/day.
- Abstaining from smoking.
- Limiting alcohol consumption.
- Staying hydrated.
Understanding How Your Dental Care Affects More than Just Your Mouth
It’s easy to get complacent in our routines and skip a dentist appointment or lapse on flossing regularly. Many of us are also pretty bad at that 8-glasses-of-water-a-day thing. But your oral health affects way more than just your mouth. Heart disease, diabetes, oral cancers and respiratory infections are all directly linked to the health of your teeth and gums. So when you decide to take control of your dental care, you’re also setting yourself up for great overall health. And who doesn’t want to be healthy?