Why You Need To Stick With Twice-Yearly Visits

It’s easy to get thrown off track when it comes to your dental appointments. Work may consume a lot of your time, including weekends. A global pandemic may have you finding yourself at home for extended periods of time. The longer you spend away from your Hicksville cosmetic dental office, the more worried you may be about making a return. 

This is exactly what you need to do, though – return to seeing your family dentist in Bethpage, or hygienist every six months. There is only so much that you can do when you are at home and even routine brushing and flossing can’t hit all the areas that you need to ensure that you have healthy teeth and gums. Otherwise you risk needing possible expensive dental work or surgery

Now it’s time to get more in-depth about why you need to stick with twice-yearly dental visits.

The Exam Is Far From “Routine” 

The things that you see as being normal every visit (or in the case of X-rays, every other visit) play a big part in the monitoring of your oral health. The dentist looks at the X-rays to make sure that nothing has changed in your mouth since the last time you were there. They may spot a cavity or possibly see how a tooth has shifted. More Bethpage Smiles and other dental offices are also using digital X-rays, which means no waiting time to have them processed. 

Then they will examine your mouth, probing your teeth and gums to see if there are any signs of periodontal disease. One instrument they use measures the space between the gums and the teeth. If there are pockets more than four millimeters deep, then they may decide to do more of an exploration to ensure that tartar has not formed under the gumline. You want shallow spaces between the gums and teeth. 

Another thing that they look for is tartar – which is hardened plaque. You can’t brush that off and if left unattended, then it can wind up causing gum disease. If it is caught in the gingivitis stage, then it can be reversed. If it advances to periodontitis, then you will need to have things like deep cleanings (scaling and root planing) done and may also require antibiotics and other gum treatments in Hicksville. 

The Dentist Can Catch Far More Than Cavities

You may have dead teeth and not be aware of it – sometimes it happens without any indicators like pain. The dentist can find this with an instrument that sticks to teeth and root canal therapy near Bethpage may be scheduled if any dead ones are found. The once-feared root canal has become much more routine thanks to advances in dental technology. Now more people say it is like having a filling inserted.

Another thing that the dentist will do is look at your mouth for any signs of things like oral cancer or other conditions of the mouth, They will see if there are changes in appearances in the throat, neck and even the head. 

They Can Tell You How To Improve Your Brushing Regimen

You may think that you are properly brushing your teeth. In fact that you may be spending too little time or not using the proper form. The same may be said of your flossing. Your Bethpage general dentist or hygienist can get you back on track. They may even give you flossing picks to get too hard to reach spots. If you listen to them, it can carry over to the next appointment. They may even recommend a good mouthwash to use. 

If it turns out that the time you spent away from the dentist has been detrimental to your oral health, they may want you to see them every three months until they determine that you have gotten your oral health back on track. This is beneficial for not only your teeth but it can help your long-term health as well. Your teeth and mouth and body will all thank you. 

Going to the dentist doesn’t have to be a scary thing. If you are worried about any part of your visit, things can be done to ensure that you have a smooth time in the dental chair. Things like numbing agents can be applied or even some sedatives. Check what your insurance does or does not cover before proceeding. Their goal is to make their patients happy and healthy. 

Dr. Krupali Shah and the staff at Bethpage Smiles want all of their parties to have excellent oral health. They will be glad to discuss why going to the dentist regularly is extremely important and will also do their best to put the patients at ease. Give them a call at 516-822-6159 to make an appointment or contact Bethpage Smiles to learn more.

Bethpage Smiles Family Dental – Dr. Krupali Shah
120 Bethpage Rd suite 310,
Hicksville, NY 11801
Phone: (516) 822-6659