April 16, 2019

It is recommended by The Australian Dental Association to visit the dentist every 6 months. But why are regular check-ups so important, and how does it affect your oral health?

A 6-monthly check-up and clean is more than a simple clean for your teeth. When you visit a Coastal Dental Care dentist, we can detect oral concerns early, such as gum disease, tooth decay, and even some oral cancers.

Besides keeping your teeth and gums healthy, a check-up and clean helps prevent larger dental issues from occurring. Restoration procedures can be expensive. For this reason, it can be more cost effective to see the dentist regularly rather than waiting for problems to occur.

Further, leaving dental concerns to fester can have adverse effects on your overall health.

Professional Clean

When a dentist or oral health therapist cleans your teeth, they can remove built-up plaque and tartar your toothbrush alone cannot remove. As well, they have specially designed tools to help examine areas you might be neglecting in your oral hygiene routine.

This way, they can show you areas of concern and give you advice on how to improve your cleaning routine. Some common corrections are brushing too hard, not flossing daily, and missing sections while brushing.

Using the correct tooth brushing and flossing routine makes it is difficult for plaque to build up on teeth. When left on teeth, plaque eats away at the tooth’s protective enamel layer. Once the enamel is compromised you may require dental treatment such as fillings.

Prevent Diseases

Dental diseases can be painful and have adverse effects on our overall health. The good news is regular brushing, flossing and visiting the dentist can prevent dental diseases from occurring.

If, however, we do not look after our teeth and gums, the following problems can occur:

Tooth Decay

When plaque is left on teeth, it dissolves the tooth’s enamel causing tooth decay. Eating healthy foods and reducing the amount of carbohydrates and sugars in our diets can help reduce tooth decay.

Certain medications and prescriptions can facilitate tooth decay by causing dry mouth. Saliva is important as it neutralises acids in our mouth and washes away bacteria and debris.

Gum Disease

Gum disease relates to the gum around our teeth. When infected, the area is typically red, swollen, bleeds or is sensitive. If left untreated, gum disease can lead to tooth loss.

There is also evidence gum disease is linked to heart disease.

Oral Cancer

Oral cancer in the early stages is highly treatable and is often curable. Your dentist will be able to detect if you have oral cancer.

Reduce/Prevent Restorative Treatments

Visiting the dentist every 6 months helps to keep your teeth and gums at their optimum. When you look after your oral health, it is less likely you will need major restorative treatments.

Restorative treatments such as a dental bridge, crowns, dental implants and root canal therapy can be expensive. You can potentially save more money in the long run by visiting the dentist regularly. A $200 check-up and clean twice a year is a lot cheaper than fixing a serious problem.

Book an appointment

Is it time for your 6 monthly check-up and clean? Book an appointment at one of our practices located across the Gold Coast, northern NSW and Redland Bay.