Spring Clean Your Smile: Why Your Next Dental Check-up Is So Important

Spring is here and the world around you freshens up with the warmer weather. Just as nature starts its rejuvenation, you should, too. If you’re due for your semi-annual dental check-up, now’s the time to get the date set on your calendar.

Why is your next dental check-up so important? The fact is, they all are. At New York Dental Health, with seven locations in the Bronx and New York City, New York our experts know that even the best home care routine isn’t enough to combat the build-up of plaque and tartar.

Without these twice-a-year dental cleanings, gum disease and decay would take over your mouth. No amount of brushing or flossing can get you caught up again.

That’s only the beginning, however. Your regular check-up protects you from much more. This month’s blog takes a look at the hows and whys of the importance of these dentist office visits.

The shortcomings of home care

Think for a minute about how good your teeth feel after you emerge from our offices after a cleaning. There’s a difference, even when you follow the recommended home dental care regimen of teeth brushing twice a day, lasting two minutes each time, and one flossing every day with dental floss or a quality water flosser.

Does this mean that home care is pointless? Far from it.

Excellent oral health is a partnership between your efforts and our dental hygienists. Even the most thorough home care misses small accumulations of plaque and tartar between teeth and other spots that aren’t easy to attack with brushing and flossing.

Brushing more often or more aggressively doesn't help. In fact, you may damage your gums or increase wear on tooth enamel, still not reaching the plaque build-up that an in-office cleaning removes.

It’s a planned partnership that works. Deep cleaning is only one benefit of your check-up, however.

Beyond the cleaning

While scaling and polishing usually consumes the most time in your check-up, there’s plenty of other things going on, too. Some of the other evaluations and examinations you can have include:

History review: we ask about any dental problems or health issues since your last visit
Cancer screening: oral cancer can sometimes be spotted with a quick visual scan
Comprehensive oral exam: a dental inspection for decay and gum disease
Diagnostic X-rays: done periodically, dental X-rays check places where eyes can’t go
Bite exam: a check to assess how upper and lower teeth coordinate
Signs of bruxism: teeth grinding can lead to premature tooth wear
Fluoride treatments

We also provide feedback on your home care, as well as recommending procedures that can further enhance your smile.

If you want to brighten your smile this summer with a dental office teeth whitening treatment, you need to be cavity- and gum disease-free. The basic oral health provided by dental check-ups serves as the foundation of your great smile.

Contact New York Dental Health at our nearest location, online or by phone, to schedule your next check-up now.