Dental Checkups: Importance & When You Should Visit Your Dentist

Visiting your dentist regularly for an exam and cleaning is one of the most important things you can do to support your oral health. By giving your dentist the chance to examine your mouth for signs of tooth decay, gum disease, or other potential health concerns, they can catch problems while they’re small and more easily managed. 

A visit to your dentist supports your health, can help you avoid further discomfort, and also save you the potential costs and headache of more extensive dental work down the line.

How Often Should You Go to the Dentist?

We like to see our patients for a dental checkup (this includes your exam and cleaning) every 6 months or so, which aligns with the Canadian Dental Association’s recommendations.

Your dentist might recommend a more frequent schedule based on your particular health needs, including risk factors for gum disease. People who may need to see their dentist every 3 months or so can include:

• People with diabetes
• Smokers
• Pregnant people
• People with gum disease (gingivitis or periodontitis)
• Those with a weak immune system
• Anyone who is very prone to cavities or plaque buildup

Why Do I Need to Get a Dental Checkup?

Your oral health includes being able to talk, smile, chew, and share your emotions with confidence and without pain, according to the FDI World Dental Federation. By visiting your dentist regularly, you’re supporting those oral health goals. 

Of course, there are some other very specific reasons to see your dentist, too.

Gum Disease Is Very Common

7 in 10 Canadians will have gum disease diagnosed at some point in their lives. Common signs of gum disease include:

• Swollen, puffy, or sore gums
• Gums that bleed when you brush, or noticing blood in the sink after brushing
• Bad breath that doesn’t go away
• Red gums
• Receding gums

The good news is that good brushing and flossing habits are an effective way to prevent gum disease. Even better, it’s often fairly straightforward to treat the milder form of gum disease known as gingivitis; a thorough dental cleaning combined with a return to good brushing and flossing habits is often enough. (Quitting smoking is extremely important, too.) 

But on the other hand, untreated gum disease can lead to fairly serious outcomes, both in your oral health and your systemic, or overall, health.

For example, untreated gingivitis can develop into periodontitis. It’s a serious infection that, if it’s not cared for, can damage your gums and bones, and might lead to the loss of one or more teeth. If your dentist is able to catch periodontitis in its early stages, treatment may include antibiotics along with a thorough scaling and root planing procedure as part of your cleaning. 

However, if the periodontitis has a chance to progress, dental surgery, such as a bone or soft tissue graft, or dental implants and crowns to replace lost teeth, might be required. 

There’s a Link Between Heart Health & Oral Health

Beyond the trouble gum disease can cause in your mouth is its potential to cause problems elsewhere in your body. For example, people with gum disease have 2 to 3 times the risk of having a heart attack, stroke, or another serious cardiovascular event.

This is an area of ongoing research, and the connection between heart disease and gum disease isn’t yet fully understood. But until we know more, keeping up with brushing, flossing, and dental checkups can only be a good thing.

Gum Disease in Pregnancy May Affect the Baby

Dental care is especially important in pregnancy. Research shows that a pregnant person with gum disease is more likely to deliver a preterm baby (before 35 weeks) or a baby with low birth weight. 

Periodontitis May Greatly Worsen COVID-19 Symptoms

A recent study found a strong link between people with periodontitis and more severe COVID-19 outcomes. The patients in the study who had gum disease and contracted COVID-19 were 3.5 times more likely to be admitted to an intensive care unit, 4.5 times more likely to need a ventilator, and 8.8 times more likely to lose their lives to COVID-19 compared to people without gum disease.

Dental Cleanings Prevent Tooth Decay & Cavities

Cavities are very common, but they’re not inevitable. Good oral hygiene habits at home, combined with twice-a-year cleaning at your dental office, can prevent tooth decay or stop cavities from becoming larger and affecting deeper layers of your tooth.

Cavities happen when plaque forms on your teeth and isn’t fully removed by brushing and flossing. The plaque starts to erode the enamel on the outside of your teeth, which is the earliest stage of a cavity. If the cavity isn’t treated, the damage can continue to penetrate the tooth’s layers, eventually causing toothaches, infection, or even the loss of the tooth.

Plaque hardens into yellowish or brownish tartar, which only your dentist or dental hygienist can remove with their tools in-office. Meanwhile, plaque can continue to form beneath tartar (especially in those nooks and crannies in your back teeth) and cause more damage.

You can prevent tooth decay and cavities with some simple steps:

• Brush with fluoride toothpaste twice a day and floss daily
• Avoid snacking and sipping on sugary or acidic beverages throughout the day
• See your dentist regularly
• Eat fresh fruits and vegetables to increase saliva flow 
• Choose water as your beverage of choice

Signs It’s Time to Visit the Dentist

You certainly don’t need to wait for symptoms to strike before you visit the dentist. But if you’re living with any of the following, book an appointment to see us soon:

• Sore, bleeding, or red gums
• Bad breath
• Jaw pain, including when chewing
• Toothache
• Loose teeth
• Grinding your teeth
• You’re self-conscious of your smile
• Uncomfortable dentures
• Snoring
• Discoloured teeth
• Damaged tooth