We all know that the (ADA) American Dental Association and your dentist recommend that you and your children visit the dentist every six months. Some of you may wonder if this is really essential to your overall oral health. We believe that it is essential in maintaining a beautiful smile and a healthy mouth as there are many things that get stuck to your teeth and irritate your gums that no amount of brushing can remove. Some people are also more prone to mineral deposits in the mouth due to the makeup of their saliva and this can really cause problems with the gum tissues if left unchecked for too long.
However, just visiting your dentist every six months is not enough. It is up to you to ensure that both you and your child have good habits between those visits, including regular brushing, flossing, and rinsing while keeping a healthy diet. If any problems do arise, we can take care of them right away instead of letting the problems get out of control or irreversible.
During your six-month checkup, you can expect the dentist to evaluate the overall health of your mouth including your gums. We also check to make sure that there is no tooth decay, look at your bite, and evaluate the movement and function of your jaw joints. Plaque and tarter can build up in a very short period of time, and food and drinks can stain teeth. This is why we do a thorough cleaning of the teeth during this visit. If plaque is not removed, it can build up and harden on teeth and can even affect the gum tissue leading to gingivitis first and advancing to periodontal disease if left untreated. Therefore, it is essential to remove this with our special instruments. Plus, we can see and get to hard to reach places that you may miss at home.
This six-month visit is also a good time to take a look at any past dental work and see how it is holding up. It’s also a great time to review brushing and flossing techniques with your children. Gentle reminders from someone besides their parents are always a good idea as our children sometimes listen better to other authoritative figures they don’t hear from daily. Part of the cleaning consists of polishing your teeth too, and they always feel the cleanest and look their best after these visits!
About Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontic Specialists of Michigan, the offices of Drs. Delaney, Plunkett, Ralstrom, Makowski, Thanasas, Ker, and Associates
Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontic Specialists of Michigan have specialized in pediatric dentistry and orthodontics since 1968. Our family-friendly office gives patients and families a more comfortable and consistent experience with dentistry from the very beginning. The pediatric dentists treat children from newborn to 18 years of age while our orthodontists provide care for both children and adults, including being an Invisalign preferred provider. The ability to treat all special needs patients reaches beyond our facility, which has treatment rooms available for children who require additional privacy. Valued hospital affiliations allow dental services to be performed at DMC Children’s Hospital and St. John Providence Health System when needed. Our specialists are also on staff at Henry Ford and Beaumont hospitals.
