How Often Should You Visit the Dentist For a Check-Up?
Most people should see a dentist twice a year for comprehensive exams. The visit typically includes dental x-rays, detailed teeth cleaning by our hygienist, and an oral exam by our dentist. Although it is tempting to skip a dental exam, there are several good reasons to visit our dental office regularly:
- Prevent or fill cavities
- Diagnose oral health issues
- Receive dental care education and products
Our dentists and hygienists can offer helpful dental care tips to keep teeth and gums healthy. Twice yearly dental appointments are well worth the time and cost for everyone.
What Happens During a Dental Check-Up?
During a normal dental check-up, the patient will enter our dental office and fill out some important paperwork and register their personal and medical information. Afterwards, one of our dental employees will call the patient into the back of the office. Usually the first step is to take a set of X-rays of the person’s teeth to see if there are any problems like impacted or broken teeth. To do the X-rays, the person sits in a chair and bites on a piece of film or a stick while the machine takes pictures of all the teeth. The X-ray machine may spin or just rest on the cheek area where the person is biting down.
After the X-rays are completed, our dentist will review them and come into the room to do an exam. They will use a mirror to look around in the patient’s mouth at the gums and teeth. The dentist will use a metal pick to poke around teeth that may need to be inspected better. They will inform the patient of any problems they find and how many appointments they need in order to perform the work. Afterwards, our dental hygienist will clean the teeth and then the patient can set up future appointments and leave.
