Do you remember the last dental check-up you had? You’re overdue if you can’t or haven’t had one within the last six months. Getting routine dental check-ups is crucial, ensuring that you’re practicing excellent oral hygiene and have no cavities, gingivitis, or other oral health concerns. 

Why is it so important to keep up with biannual dental check-ups? Keep reading to learn why preventive dentistry is important and how early detection of dental issues is key to maintaining excellent oral hygiene.

What’s Included in Dental Check-ups?

Dental check-ups look for more than just cavities. While hygienists and dentists will examine your teeth to determine if you have a cavity, they check for many other dental issues. Dental check-ups include a cleaning to ensure your teeth are free of build-up and freshly cleaned and flossed. They allow a dentist to check the health of your gums, an important part of the mouth that can affect the rest of your body.

When you first sit in the examination chair, a hygienist will assist the dentist in your dental cleaning. This includes removing plaque and tartar that can build up on teeth between your biannual appointments. Hygienists and dentists use dental tools like mirrors, scalers, polishers, and floss to scrape and remove food and other debris between the teeth and below the gum line. After your teeth are clean and polished, a dentist will examine your teeth for signs of cavities or other oral health concerns like gingivitis, periodontal disease (gum disease), oral cancers, and other issues. 

Depending on if you’re due for dental x-rays, your hygienist will take x-rays of your teeth. The dentist will review the dental imagery and determine whether you have cavities or decay that’s not easily detected with the naked eye. We can see if you have an infection, cavities, bone loss, a jaw fracture, and more information about your gums, teeth, and jaw.

Importance of Dental Check-ups

Regular dental exams are very important for your oral health and beyond; your oral health can affect the rest of your body including your heart. Plenty of studies show there’s a link between oral infections and heart problems. Therefore, it’s important to keep up with biannual dental check-ups to keep the rest of your body healthy. 

Dental check-ups can check for signs of periodontal disease, a disease of the gums that increases your risk of developing diabetes and heart disease. How are these related when they’re not even connected? Gum disease is an infection of the gums, meaning they contain bacteria. This bacteria is absorbed in the bloodstream, eventually moving to other parts of the body, including the heart. Biannual dental exams can catch early signs of periodontal disease, helping it be reversed if properly managed.

Another major oral health concern is oral cancer, a disease that affects approximately 58,000 Americans annually. It’s often undetected by patients, but dentists can catch oral cancer early at biannual check-ups, helping to treat it before it continues to spread. Tobacco and alcohol use and HPV are risk factors for developing oral cancer, but any adult can develop it. Regular dental exams and oral cancer screenings are crucial to catching cancer early and increasing survival rates.

Oral Hygiene Tips for Between Biannaul Dental Check-ups

Getting biannual dental check-ups will keep your teeth and gums healthier and can improve your overall health. Keeping up with regular dental exams is important, but so is maintaining excellent oral hygiene between appointments. Caring for your teeth is important – below are some oral hygiene tips for between biannual dental check-ups:

Brush & Floss Daily

Your whole life you’ve heard from your family dentist or on commercials to brush twice daily and to incorporate regular flossing. Brushing twice daily with fluoride toothpaste can reduce your risk of developing cavities and gum disease. You should also floss daily to remove food and tartar between teeth.

Maintain a Healthy Diet

Gum health and diet are linked, so why not maintain a healthy diet for oral health? Consuming whole foods, more vegetables, and fruits low in sugar will keep your teeth cleaner and protect your gumline from sticky, starchy foods. Eating healthy foods is great for your oral health and for preventing heart disease, diabetes, and other health issues.

Drink More Water

Drinking water keeps the body hydrated, important for great hair, skin, and teeth! Teeth have enamel, the hardest part of the tooth that acts as a shield to protect the inner layers of the tooth and the root. Enamel can break down from acids in foods, drinks, and medications. Luckily, keeping enamel strong is possible by consuming healthy foods and drinking plenty of water to wash away those acids before they can settle on your teeth.

Quit Smoking

There’s a link between smoking and oral health, putting Americans at risk of developing oral cancers and increasing your risk of tooth decay and tooth loss. All forms of tobacco including smoking, chewing tobacco, and vaping can cause severe damage to your gums and enamel. Though smoking can be detrimental to your oral health, it’s never too late to quit smoking and help reverse the smoking effects on teeth.

Schedule Your Biannual Dental Check-ups with Rhoades Family Dentistry

Rhoades Family Dentistry provides all dental services and treatments including general dentistry, cosmetic dentistry, emergency dentistry, dental implants, and more. We can help you maintain your oral health by scheduling a biannual cleaning, preventative maintenance, and cavity prevention to reduce your chance of developing heart disease and gum disease.

If you need dental care for the entire family, Rhoades Family Dentistry would love to be your family dentist! We’re family-owned and operated with a team of dedicated professionals who are members of the American Dental Association, American Association of Pediatric Dentistry, and many other dental associations. Our staff has undergone extensive training to provide all our patients with the best dental care.

Book an appointment today by scrolling up and clicking “BOOK AN APPOINTMENT” on the top left of your screen or by calling (913) 782-8900. We look forward to serving you by providing excellent dental care and giving your family healthy smiles!