How Often Should You Visit A Dental Clinic?

Patients often ask how often they should come to the dentist. The interval at which patients should schedule their cleanings will vary for each person. Although it is commonly said that dental cleanings should be completed every six months, visiting the dental office every six months might not be the best option for everyone.

How Often Should You Visit the Dental office with Periodontal Disease?

For example, patients with periodontal disease should come in for their cleanings every three to four months on average. Periodontal disease causes bone loss, and pockets around the teeth are formed. These pockets will periodically fill up with plaque, calculus, and bacteria. Periodontal disease makes it hard for patients to clean these areas well at home. If a patient with periodontal diseases misses one, two, or even more appointments in a row their periodontal disease will become active again.

When periodontal disease is in its active stage, more bone and supportive structures that attach the tooth in the mouth are destroyed by the bacteria. As more bone loss occurs, the patient is at a higher risk for tooth loss. By increasing how often they visit the dentist to three to four times a year, these areas can maintain a state of health.

How Often Should You Visit the Dentist With Braces?

Another important situation to address is patients with traditional braces. This typically applies to a younger age group, but can also be seen in adults. These patients usually have a hard time removing all the plaque and bacteria from their mouth because it clings onto the brackets and wires. It is crucial to have pristine oral hygiene during the time that the braces are on because poor care can lead to white spots on the teeth and cavities when the braces are removed.

White spots will occur when plaque sits on the tooth long enough to demineralize it. When the brackets are removed, the part of the tooth covered by the braces will be a different color than the surrounding demineralized tooth structure. Cavities can occur after traditional braces are removed because it is difficult to floss with the wire in the way. Four month recalls are usually recommended to keep patients with braces healthy.

Many Patients Visit The Dental clinic Every 6 Months

Lastly, another factor to consider is how often patients are checked for cavities. Radiographs, sometimes referred to as “Digital x-rays,” will be taken to check for decay. Although some cavities may be noticed by the dentist with a naked eye, not all cavities can be seen without x-ray technology. Bitewing x-rays are used to see in between the teeth to check for cavities and bone loss. These are typically taken once a year, but this can vary based on the patient’s risk level.

By missing a routine appointment, a patient may have cavities that go undetected. The longer the cavities are left untreated, the more time they have to grow. The risk of needed root canal or tooth extractions are higher for patients with untreated decay.

In addition to the situations discussed above, there are many other reasons why patients could benefit from intervals more frequent than six months. A patient with good oral hygiene and no presence of periodontal disease is usually a good candidate for a six month recall interval. The good news is that most insurances will cover a regular cleaning and exam at 100%. Even for patients without insurance, regular cleanings and exams are typically one of the more affordable types of dental appointments. Give our office a call to find out what benefits you are offered.

How Often Should a Child Visit the Pediatric Dentist?

Dentistry for children is similar to adult dentistry when it comes to how often they should have a cleaning. It is typically recommended that children come every six months for their dental cleaning appointments. Children with braces or other orthodontic appliances, as mentioned earlier, might be recommended to come for more frequent visits until the orthodontic appliance is removed.

A common question asked by parents is when to make baby’s first dentist appointment. Each patient is different, but it is usually recommended to make an appointment once they have gotten their first tooth. Although the first visit for a child might not be the most productive, it is important to familiarize them with the office and the staff. This is also a chance for the dentist to take a quick look for any cavities. This appointment can be an opportunity for the parents to talk with the dentist and hygienist about what they should be doing at home to keep their child’s teeth healthy.

At our office we do not believe in forcing anything on patients, especially young children. If a child is uncooperative at their appointment we will do our best to cheer them up and make them comfortable, but sometimes it is best to just let them pick a prize out of the treasure chest and reschedule the appointment for another day. We usually recommend trying again in 6 months. The goal is to create a positive memory at our office so the child builds trust and will eventually cooperate.

Our office treats patients of all ages, even for filling appointments. In instances where a child needs a cavity filled and will not cooperate, we will typically refer them to a pediatric office for treatment. They are welcome to come back to our office for cleaning appointments after the cavities are taken care of.

How to Deal with a Child’s Dental Emergencies

Besides getting their first tooth, another reason to schedule an appointment would be if parents see anything concerning going on. Kids can be accident-prone, and sometimes teeth are bumped, chipped, or they may even come out. It is important to stay calm if your child bumps their mouth and has potential damage to their teeth.

If an adult tooth gets knocked out, either keep it in milk or place it back in the mouth in the socket where it came out of as soon as possible and call our emergency line. To be on the safe side, it is best to call our office’s emergency line to make an appointment to get the area looked at by the dentist no matter the situation. For more information about how often to take your child to the dentist, visit our pediatric dentistry page. If you and your family need to schedule an appointment, call us today!