Regular visits to your Littleton dentist are essential for preserving proper oral health, but the question obviously arises “how often to visit the dentist to make sure my teeth are in great condition?” While the general rule is to visit the doctor twice a year, there are many factors that determine the best interval for your visits to the dentist – here are some.
The Ideal Situation
The twice-a-year rule works for those who don’t suffer from any gum disease, are not at risk of developing such disease any time soon, who don’t suffer from vitamin and calcium deficiency, from diabetes or from other conditions that affect the health of the bones and of the soft tissues in the mouth and for people who have a proper routine of dental hygiene.
Underlying Health Issues and Conditions that Shorten the Interval Between Visits
Diabetes, pregnancy, mineral and vitamin deficiencies weaken the teeth, therefore they require you to visit your dentist more often. People suffering from gum disease or from a weakened immune system also need to see their dentist every 2-3 months to reduce the risk of bacterial infections in the mouth.
What to Expect of Routine Visits
During routine visits, dentists examine the teeth of their patients, searching for cavities and for signs of gum disease or infections in their early stages, when they are already visible to the trained eye, but they don’t cause any symptoms yet. After the examination, your dentist will address the issues found by filling or bonding your damaged teeth or by recommending lengthier, more complex treatment options if necessary.
Your Littleton family dental practitioner will also clean your teeth if he or she deems it necessary – tartar deposits cannot be removed with the dental cleaning methods used at home, so you will need the professional tools and materials used by your dentist to get rid of the deposits.
Emergencies
If one of your tooth becomes chipped, cracked, sensitive, swollen or painful, you need to schedule a visit to your Littleton dentist right away. Toothache is usually caused by an inflammation or an infection and it will not go away on its own – you can reduce the symptoms temporarily with pain killers and ice packs, but they will come back soon. If you have an infected tooth, your doctor will probably ask you to get a dental X-ray that shows the exact location of the inflammation, then the dentist will open the tooth to rinse it, to remove any puss and dead tissue from the inner layers of the tooth and to apply a medicated filling. When the infection has healed, your dentist will remove the medicated filling and will apply the permanent filling.
As you see, how often to visit the dentist depends on your general health and physical condition, on the current condition of your teeth and of your gums and whether you are faced with any acute issues that need treatment instantly – if you don’t have any acute dental situations going on, you can schedule dental appointments at six-month intervals, but if you do experience any discomfort or pain, schedule your next visit right away.