Most people know it is important to regularly visit the dentist, as this is essential to having a healthy mouth! We found, however, that this is something people often struggle with. Up to 42% of American adults admit they don’t see the dentist as often as they should. We get it, it’s hard to fit one more thing into your schedule. But, making sure to see your dentist regularly is vital in maintaining overall oral health. We recommend making an appointment every six months! You may be asking yourself, why do I need to see a dentist twice a year? We hope this blog post will be able to answer that question!

Why 6 months? 

We want to see you every 6 months to help protect you from gum disease and plaque buildup! While a medical doctor works with the whole body and only needs to see you once a year, your mouth is very unique. Due to the daily interactions with food, high sugars, and other outside influences, your mouth is susceptible to more frequent issues. So we want to check you frequently! During your 6 month check-up, we will help clean plaque build up off your teeth and make sure your gums are healthy. Brushing and flossing along with regular check-ups will set you on a good track for oral health!

What if I have an immediate problem? 

If you are experiencing oral pain, unusual sensitivity, or have any other issues we want to see you right away! It would be silly to wait in pain until your next appointment. We are available to help with life’s inconveniences as they come. 

• Got a weird abscess? We can help! 
• Having issues with a funny smell that won’t go away? We can help! 
• Broke a tooth playing soccer? We can help! 
• Cat fell out of a tree causing you to trip on the sidewalk and lose a tooth? We can help!

Just like you would call a medical doctor for abdominal pain, you should call the dentist for mouth pain. In these situations, the sooner we get you fixed the less likely you are to have long-term damage. Please do not be afraid to call us and we will happily work with your schedule to get you fixed up ASAP!

What happens if I don’t get check-ups? 

While we understand it can be hard to make time to see the dentist around work, sports, and daily commitments we can’t stress enough how important a 6 month check-up is. Missing a check-up can lead to heavy plaque build-up and increase your risk of gum disease. It also might make us love you less (just kidding, we will still love you)!  We understand that life happens and if you need to reschedule an appointment that is no biggie! We will happily get you rescheduled at a time that works. We do, however strongly encourage you to not miss a 6 month check-up altogether. A great way to make sure a check-up doesn’t get missed is to schedule it at the end of an appointment right before you leave our office! 

We love seeing our patients every 6 months because we get to make sure you’re healthy and we enjoy talking to you! These appointments are critical to maintaining lifelong oral health, which is our goal for everyone. If you have any more questions or need to schedule an appointment give us a call at (509) 927-5909 and we will be happy to help!