Darren Gardner DDS Provo Dentist
Many people wonder how often they should see a dentist. That depends on two things: your risk for cavities and periodontal disease, and your desire to keep your teeth for a lifetime. If you have healthy gums, a cleaning every 6 months is recommended. If you have periodontal disease (gum disease), you may need to have your teeth cleaned every 3-4 months to keep your gums and teeth healthy.
Prevent Periodontal Disease
If you have been diagnosed with periodontal disease in the past, your teeth need frequent cleanings to prevent the disease from spreading or becoming worse. Statistics show that over half of people over 35 have periodontal disease. The only way to treat and prevent periodontal disease is through frequent professional cleanings. Even those with exceptional home care and a healthy diet build up plaque and tarter that can only be removed through a professional cleaning.
Periodontal disease is caused by bacterial build-up (plaque and tarter) under the gums that cause the gum to become infected and sore. Over time, the bone begins to erode around the teeth until they can become loose and need to be removed. Periodontal disease that is allowed to progress becomes less responsive to treatment and may need more aggressive and costly procedures to keep your teeth. Bone loss can be stopped, but not reversed without surgery. Surgery is reserved for more severe and advanced periodontal disease.
Prevent Cavities
If you have had cavities often in the past, chances are you will continue to develop cavities if your diet and home care have remained the same. Plaque that is left on the teeth, either through inadequate home care or infrequent professional cleanings, is like acid. The longer it is left on the teeth, the longer it has to create a hole, or cavity in the tooth. A dentist or hygienist can reach areas that you cannot to clean plaque off of the teeth before it has a chance to create a cavity.
Save Money!
Having an exam every 6 months also gives the dentist an opportunity to find problems while they are small and inexpensive to treat. Neglecting regular dental visits means for many people that they return only to find out that decay has progressed deep enough into the tooth to require a root canal and a crown, instead of a much more affordable filling. That is a cost difference of around $1500 that could have been saved if the decay was caught earlier on! Sometimes the tooth must be extracted. Replacing a tooth can cost between $2-3,000!
A great portion of a dentist's revenue comes from patients who have neglected to keep their regular appointments. Do not put off dental visits to save a few bucks, because it will end up costing you more in the long run!
Keep Your Teeth!
Almost without exception, those who come in only when something hurts, end up losing teeth. For multiple reasons, their teeth are not a priority- until they hurt. By the time they hurt, treatment is expensive and many choose to just have the tooth removed. Eventually, chewing becomes difficult and dentures must be done. Nobody likes having dentures. If you want to keep your natural teeth, dental visits every six months along with preventative treatment will ensure that you are chewing and smiling with your own teeth for the rest of your life!
Sedation Dentistry
A common reason why people avoid the dentist is fear. However, thousands of fearful dental patients across the country have found that their dental visits are a breeze with sedation dentistry. Don't let your fear of dentistry keep you from caring for your teeth!