Why You Shouldn't Skip Your Bi-Annual Dental Exam

It’s hard to see the value in bi-annual dental exams, especially if you’re pain-free and have good dental hygiene habits. Given your busy lifestyle, those dental exams may slip lower and lower on your priority list until you realized you’ve gone a couple of years without darkening a dentist’s door.

There are several reasons you should get back on schedule and commit to those regular visits. The primary one is that regular professional care is the best way to protect your teeth from a plethora of oral health problems and ensure that you’ll keep those teeth for a lifetime.

Busy Washingtonians trust Drs. Margaret Culotta-Norton and Peter Grinc and their team at DC Family Dentistry for the best dental care, whether preventive, restorative, or general dentistry. You’ll find that your bi-annual visits will make a measurable difference in your oral and overall health. Here’s why.

Top four reasons you shouldn’t skip your regular dental exams

If you brush your teeth twice a day, you’re doing only the bare minimum required to keep your teeth clean. If you floss as well, you’re better off than those who don’t, but nowhere near on par with those who get a professional cleaning twice a year. Here are the top reasons you should keep your appointments at DC Family Dentistry:

1. Deep cleaning

Bacteria and plaque build-up over time. Your toothbrush just can’t tackle them the way a pro can. Our team uses professional tools to rid your teeth of the infection-causing bacteria that lead to cavities and gum disease. 

2. Oral health inspection

Our team can check for oral health issues like gingivitis and periodontitis, cavities, cancer, and more. X-rays allow us to see what’s going on inside your teeth, so we can catch issues early, before they become major problems. 

3. Cosmetic benefits

No amount of brushing and over-the-counter whitening products can match the brightness of the smile we can give you with a professional cleaning session. If you want to take it a step further, we offer either at-home whitening trays or in-office Phillips Zoom!®, so you can get whiter teeth in much less time, while keeping your gums and teeth safe from damage.

4. Valuable education

As technology changes and research advances, the field of dentistry evolves as well. Our team can keep you abreast of the latest tools and techniques you can use at home.

The link between oral health and overall health

Most people don’t realize that what goes on in your mouth affects the rest of your body. Once you learn the connection, it may be the only motivating factor you need to schedule those twice-yearly check-ups. 

Your mouth is a breeding ground for bacteria. It’s a warm, wet environment with plenty to feed on. Even if you brush twice a day, there’s plenty of time in between when germs gather and multiply, just looking for a foothold in your mouth.

Given the opportunity, those bacteria get into your teeth and under your gums where they cause infection. The early stage of gum disease, gingivitis, can lead to a more advanced stage, periodontitis, if left untreated. 

Every time you chew and swallow, you’re sending all those harmful germs into your stomach and throughout your body where it can affect your whole system. Health conditions known to be linked to gum disease include:

• Heart disease 
• Stroke
• Diabetes
• Rheumatoid arthritis

An hour in the dentist’s chair saves time, money, and pain.

If your untreated dental problems get out of control, you could be spending more time and money treating larger health issues than all your regular check-up appointments combined. And don’t forget the pain that comes with infections and their treatment.

If your dental problems lead to medical issues, you’ll have to factor in the cost of physicians and the time and money spent treating your condition. 

Now that you know the benefits of coming to see us twice a year, and the consequences if you don’t, it may put things in a new perspective. Not only is a regular check-up important, but it’s also critical that you let us know if you feel pain or discomfort in-between visits. A toothache may or may not go away on its own, and it may be a sign of bigger problems that we can nip in the bud.

We know you’re busy and have other important things to do. That’s why we respect your time as we care for your teeth. If you haven’t seen a dentist in a while, we’d love to be your new home for complete oral care. Call us to make an appointment, or book one online.