Do I Have to Visit the Dentist for Six Month Checkups?
You know the old joke that goes: a patient asked his dentist, “Do I have to brush my teeth?” The dentist responds, “Only the ones you want to keep?” The same is true of six month checkups. You only have to visit the dentist for regular preventive appointments if you want to keep a whole healthy smile. At the Memorial dentistry practice of Mary Gray, DDS, we offer a wide range of preventive dentistry services to keep our patients smiling, and we’ll work with you to create a custom preventive dental care plan to ensure you achieve and maintain your optimal level of oral health. Call our Memorial dentist and team to find our more or schedule an appointment with us today. We look forward to seeing you soon.
What are the Benefits of Visiting the Dentist Every Six Months?
Visiting the dentist every six months is the easiest way to ensure you maintain your healthiest smile for life. Some of the many benefits of six month dental checkups include:
- Reduced risk for common oral health concerns
- Earlier diagnosis and more conservative treatment options
- Brighter smile and less tooth staining and discoloration
- Most preventive treatments receive a high percentage of coverage from insurance providers
Why Do I Have to Visit More Often if I Have Gum Disease?
Patients who have periodontal (gum) disease will need to visit us three to four times each year rather than every six months. Gum disease is a chronic illness that cannot typically be completely cured. For this reason, we’ll need to provide regular deep cleanings to maintain the healthiest possible smile. Depending on the severity of your particular case, we will schedule appointments every three or four months to keep your smile whole and healthy.
What Should I Expect During my Six Month Checkup?
Every dental checkup in our office consists of four main sections – diagnostics, evaluation, cleaning, and consultation. Throughout your appointment, we’ll do our utmost to make sure you feel welcome, comfortable, and relaxed. Our team truly cares about helping you achieve and maintain your healthiest smile, so please feel free to ask any questions you may have. We’ll do our utmost to help. During your six month checkup, you can expect to receive the following preventive treatments:
- Diagnostics – x-rays and images of your smile that will give us a complete picture of your current level of oral health.
- Evaluations – we’ll carefully examine your smile screening for warning signs of common oral health concerns, including tooth decay, gum disease, teeth grinding and clenching (bruxism), temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunction, and oral cancer.
- Professional teeth cleaning – one of our skilled dental hygienists will gently remove plaque and tartar buildup from even the hardest to access parts of the smile. We will also be happy to answer questions you have about your at-home hygiene routine and help you improve your daily brushing and flossing regimen.
- Consultation – Dr. Gray will sit down with you one on one to discuss any areas of concerns, recommend treatment options, and partner with you to create a personalized oral health and hygiene plan.