How often should I visit the dentist?

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Extract from the article: Regular dental appointments are essential for maintaining good oral health. How often should I go for a check-up?

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Regular dental appointments are essential for maintaining good oral health. How often should I go for a check-up?

A check-up is essential for the health of your teeth. You don't have to wait until you have a toothache to go to the dentist. In fact, check-ups can be arranged without any dental problems. Above all, they allow us to check that everything is fine and are an opportunity to carry out various dental treatments, if necessary: scaling, cavity treatment, root canalization, extraction, treatment of an abscess.

 Going to the dentist: an annual routine?

It is generally considered that going to the dentist once a year is sufficient. In fact, an annual visit is recommended for children and adolescents who are more likely to develop cavities than adults.

This annual visit is only a recommendation and, in fact, the frequency of visits to the dentist will depend on a multitude of other factors: age, risk factors: tobacco, diet, alcohol, diabetes, the initial state of the teeth: fragility of the enamel, gingivitis.

The importance of regular visits

Normally it is recommended to see your dentist for a so-called systematic visit every 6 months. However, if you are in good general oral health, an annual visit may be sufficient. Even if you take care of your teeth on a daily basis, this is no reason not to visit your dentist regularly.

It has been proven that despite manual dexterity or skill, there is always plaque and tartar between the teeth that cannot be removed or cleaned and it is precisely this residue that causes bad breath or tooth decay or gum disease. Thanks to the annual visit, it is possible to detect and treat any oral problems, such as cavities, immediately.  The sooner a cavity can be treated, the healthier the teeth will be for many years to come.

Teeth are made to last a lifetime and in good health until they are over 100 years old, provided that they are taken care of. A systematic visit to the dentist every 6 months is all the more necessary if there are dental malpositions or, above all, pathologies such as diabetes, heart disease or other pathologies with infectious risks.

This systematic visit is very important for pregnant women who have a fragile oral environment (due to their condition) in order to avoid tooth loss that most women consider normal during pregnancy.

The work of the dentist

During this check-up, the dentist will check for tartar or plaque. Plaque is a whitish substance consisting mainly of bacteria that is deposited on the teeth. Over time, this plaque turns into tartar.  Tartar can only be removed from the teeth by a dentist. This operation is called dental scaling. If not removed, plaque and tartar will turn into acid which will either attack the tooth enamel and lead to tooth decay or cause inflammation of the gums leading to gingivitis and periodontal disease which will affect the health of the person affected.

Scaling is recommended for everyone at least once a year if not every 6 months.  For some people who are unable to control their oral hygiene and depending on the appearance of tartar on the teeth, quarterly scaling sessions can be considered.

The systematic visit or routine visit or check-up at the dentist is an important pillar for the preservation of good oral health. It ensures that all patients have healthy teeth, healthy gums that do not bleed when brushing or waking up and, above all, good breath.

William O.

Article validated by Dr Georges Tokofai, President of the National Order of Dental Surgeons of Togo (ONCDT)