Dental Visits

A regular checkup is the most important thing you can do for your dental health, next to brushing and flossing.  Checkups are primarily about prevention.  The rule of thumb is once every six months but your dentist may suggest you visit more or less often depending on-

• Existing dental problems.
• Likelihood of new problems.
• Effectiveness of your cleaning.
• Rate of tartar build-up.

First Dental Visit for Children

New recommendations from the Ontario Association of Public Health Dentistry now call for earlier visits to the dentist. This should occur between the ages of 12 months to 18 months.  Dental anxiety often begins in childhood.   You can help your young child feel better about visiting the dentist by taking him/her with you to your checkup.  This can occur at one year of age.  When your child sees how comfortable you are with a checkup, he or she is more likely to feel better about his or her own visits.  It also gives the dentist an opportunity to see problems very early.

Dental Anxiety

To eliminate fear, be up front with your dentist.  Today, dentists can provide options that help ease the stress of dental treatments such as sedation, nitrous oxide, topical anesthetic and hypnosis.  Many dental offices now provide TV/walkmans to help distract patients.  Having regular dental checkups can also prevent complicated dental problems down the road.

Having dentures doesn’t mean you’ve seen the last of your dentist.  Your dentures may be satisfactory, but the tissues on which they rest are always changing, so regular dental checkups are recommended.