Hygiene, whether dental, oral, or physical is all about preventative methods for noticing problems with health as they arise, and preventing issues before they occur. Your dental hygiene may be the difference between a costly root canal, or a cavity free dentist visit. Your dental hygiene mostly happens at home, with daily brushing, flossing, and rinsing, and regular dentist visits will ensure that you have not overlooked any looming issues. A dental hygienist can give you advice on how to best care for your oral health, and can work with your dentist to help you set up a dental hygiene regimen that will work for your particular case.

How often do I need to see my dentist?

Unfortunately, many problems that arise with oral health are those you cannot see. If food particles or foreign materials have weakened your tooth enamel, you may not even know it has occurred. It’s recommended that you see your dentist at least twice a year, so that careful examinations and X-rays can spot potential problems before they become costly.

During these regular examinations, it’s also important to have calculus removed from the teeth, as formations of calculus below the gum line can easily lead to bacterial growth and gum disease.

Your dental hygienist will also take the opportunity to determine changes in your ‘bite’, or occlusions, and if you require invasive treatment, your hygienist may use nitrous oxide, or “laughing gas” as an anesthetic and relaxant.

It is important that people of all ages maintain regular dental visits. While trips to the dentist may be costly, many insurance companies will cover these preventative visits. If you do not have dental insurance, it is still a good idea to visit the dentist regularly, as a trip to the dentist’s office may reveal underlying issues in your oral health. It’s much better to fill one cavity than fill ten, and have to undergo a root canal.