Looking after your health means taking a holistic approach.

To stay fit and healthy, you eat well and exercise frequently. When you feel your body is not performing as it should, you visit your doctor for advice.

In many ways, your dental hygiene is no different. If you have an excellent dental routine, eat well and stay away from cavity-inducing foods and drink, your teeth should be in good shape.

Spotting problems early help to keep your teeth looking great – and in keeping dental bills low!

But the question remains, how often should you visit the dentist?

Do you need to go to dentist every six months?

How often you need a dental exam depends on your oral health. The goal behind dental visits is to catch problems early. If your dentist spots a problem, it is likely to be a small one and that means easier solutions.

Most people opt for a dental exam every six months and is usually recommended by dentists BUT, the number of times you visit your dentist can be more or less.

Effectively, how well you care for teeth and gums will impact on how often your teeth need checking, as well as any treatment you may need.

A great oral health care routine

Consider your answers to these questions;

• Do you brush twice daily with a fluoride toothpaste?
• Do you follow your dentist’s instructions on brushing your teeth properly?
• Do you floss every day?
• Is your diet balanced and healthy, limiting sweets and sticky foods?
• Do you smoke?
• Do you have a history of teeth decay, cavities or gum disease?
• Is your overall health good?

Depending your response to all of these questions, your visits to the dentist may or may not need to be as frequent.

Some patients visit the dental practice for cleaning more often than a dental exam. Plaque can build up on teeth over time.  This thin film adheres to the teeth and is relatively easy for a hygienist to remove.

If the plague is allowed to continuing gathering on teeth, it hardens and becomes a more odious task to remove. Visiting the hygienist every 6 months means quicker, easier removal of plague and we all welcome less time in the dental chair.

Dental Visits for Children

The Canadian Dental Association suggest that a child’s first visit should be around their first birthday or within six months of their first tooth coming through.

They also suggest visits every six months to the dentist because to do so catches problems early. Some dentists prefer seeing children when all their primary or ‘milk teeth’ have come through.

But with cavities in children, especially pre-schoolers, being on the rise, getting children into good habits is essential. This means taking a hard look at food and drink consumed, as well as encouraging children and parents to make regular visits to the dentist.

Visiting the dentist with younger children is a great way for the dental team to give advice and support to parents and caregivers relating to healthy diet and guidance on cleaning teeth well.

In Summary

Adult patients should follow the advice of their dentists but patients who are at risk of cavities or other dental or oral health issues should visit their dentist more often.

For adult patients who enjoy good oral health, check-ups can be every six months or once a year, combined with more frequent visits to have their teeth deep cleaned. Of course, if you want to visit your dentist more often, that is your choice too.

Children should visit their dentist on a regular basis, and certainly from when they have a full set of primary teeth.