How often do I NEED to go to the dentist?
The nation is buzzing about the recently released study,
reported in The
New York Times and other large, popular sources, as well as in the Journal
of Dental Research, that indicates that patients may not need to go in
to see their dentist every six months.
This is ABSOLUTELY TRUE! But let
me explain more about what’s got everyone talking (finally).
Dentistry has always been the forerunner in all disciplines of
preventive medicine. The more disease
your dentist can identify and prevent, delay, or slow down, the more likely you
are to have a healthy, attractive smile your entire life. As so many have found out, once we let our
mouths begin to fall apart, it becomes very expensive and time consuming to try
to get back to healthy, pain free, and happy.
We encourage patients to come in for exams and cleanings as
frequently as they need, but that frequency is both unique to each individual
and changes with time. It is based on
the idea that there are some things that make us have a higher risk for
problems in our mouths and some things that make our risk lower.
In general, there are four main issues we deal with in
dentistry:
1.
cavities, and the consequences of cavities, like
fillings, crowns, root canals, and extractions
2.
periodontal (gum) disease (gingivitis, bone
loss, bad breath, exposed roots)
3.
bite issues (crooked teeth, painful joints,
grinding and clenching)
4.
ugly teeth (Being unable with the way our teeth
look and feel is a choice because we are blessed in America with being able to
do something about it!)
So, what the article reveals is what we have long been
trying to teach our patients. If you are
a honey bear and eat lots of sticky, sugary foods and don’t brush your teeth,
or already have fillings or crowns in your mouth, your risk for growing cavities
is much higher than if you’re a brown bear and eat lots of vegetables and
meats. So you need to come in for exams
and x-rays more often. If you smoke and
have diabetes, only floss right before your next cleaning, or fall into the
estimated 50-80% of Americans who have some form of periodontal disease, you
need to get your teeth cleaned more than twice a year or you will eventual lose
bone around your teeth and then lose your teeth completely.
Coming in on the recommended interval allows us to provide
optimum care, improving your health together.
The greatest benefit to doing what is recommended: as your health
improves, the frequency of your exams, x-rays, and cleanings goes down. We are just as excited as you are when we can
skip an exam or forego x-rays or switch from cleanings every four months back
to every six months because your improved health through the therapy we offer
now justifies less need of monitoring.
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