The Importance of Regular Dental Check-Ups Explained

It's easy to put off a dental visit when nothing hurts. But most serious dental problems — cavities, gum disease, even early signs of oral cancer — start with no symptoms at all. By the time you feel pain, treatment is usually more involved, and more expensive.

A routine checkup does three things: a visual and X-ray exam to catch decay early, a professional cleaning to remove plaque your toothbrush can't reach, and a gum health assessment, since gum disease is one of the leading causes of adult tooth loss.

For most patients, we recommend a checkup every six months. If you have a history of gum disease, are pregnant, or have certain health conditions, your dentist may suggest more frequent visits.

The bottom line: a 30-minute checkup twice a year is far less disruptive — and far less costly — than emergency treatment for a problem that had months to develop unnoticed.