Suggested Dental Visit Frequencies

As there are different reasons for visiting the dentist, there are also different timeframes for visiting the dentist. Below are a few different dental services, and how often you’ll want to have them done:

General Dentistry

General dentistry is the field of dentistry that involves general services, such as cleanings, oral exams and checkups. It is extremely important that you visit the dentist every six months for general dentistry services, as these services help both with the prevention and diagnosing of oral health issues. If your dentist raleigh north carolina can catch an oral health issue early during a checkup, they will be able to stop the progression of the ailment. If not, the oral health issue will likely get worse—leading to the need for more advanced procedures such as:

• Cavity Filling
• Scaling and Root Planing (Deep Cleaning)
• Tooth Repair
• Tooth Replacement
• Gum Repair

With a cleaning and checkup every six months, you should be able to avoid most major oral health issues.

Cosmetic Dentistry

 Cosmetic dentistry is the field of dentistry that involves any procedures that improve the cosmetic appearance of a patient’s teeth or gums. While these procedures may be for purely aesthetic reasons, they also may be for more practical reasons. Some of these services include:

• Dental Crowns
• Teeth Whitening
• Dental Veneers
• Dental Bonding
• Dental Implants
• Braces
• Gum Contouring
• Dental Bridges

While a patient may have gummy teeth or a yellow smile that leads to them seeking whitening or gum contouring for aesthetic reasons, there are also situations in which cosmetic dentistry can save a patient’s oral health. If a tooth is knocked out or needs to be pulled, for instance, it needs to be replaced. If it is not, the bone in the jaw can deteriorate, the surrounding teeth can migrate, and a patient may have trouble brushing and flossing certain areas—leading to gum disease and tooth decay.

If you have a crack or chip in your tooth, or if your tooth is knocked out, has fallen out or needs to be pulled, make sure you speak with your dentist about cosmetic services that can help to restore or replace the damaged tooth or teeth.

Emergency Dentistry

 There are certain situations that require immediate action. While certain issues with teeth can be handled with an appointment scheduled between regular visits, other issues require the patient to seek help as soon as possible. These issues are considered emergency dental procedures. An emergency dentist will generally be able to see a patient within 24 hours. This can mean the difference between saving or losing teeth. It can also be extremely important for the reduction and elimination of extreme pain.

Speak with Your Dentist

 If you have not had an appointment in the last six months, make sure to schedule a regular cleaning and checkup with your dentist. If you have other oral health issues, speak with your dentist about the best time to have those issues resolved. If you have a dental emergency, make sure to contact an emergency dentist immediately.

Renaissance Dental Care provides comprehensive general and cosmetic dentistry to patients of all ages. Consider an appointment today.

Interested in reading more about about general dentistry? Here's some basic information on what dentistry is and what dentists do.