How often should you go to the dentist?

Going for regular dental check-ups is very important, it helps us maintain a healthy mouth through prevention, early detection and getting the right treatment when needed.
Patients should typically attend the dentist every 6 months; however, this can range from 3 months to a year for low-risk patients, depending on:

• How well you're looking after your teeth  and gums
• Whether you’ve had any recent dental issues
• Your personal risk of developing dental problems, based on a mix of controllable and uncontrollable factors.

At what age do we start going to the dentist?

A child should ideally start visiting the dentist from the age of 1, or shortly after their first tooth begins to erupt. This ensures the child's dental health can be monitored and tracked throughout their childhood.
Regular visits from a young age also help children get used to the dentist. This can reduce dental anxiety and teach them the importance of looking after their teeth early on.

Why do we need to visit the dentist?

Seeing the dentist regularly helps to prevent problems before they get worse. Catching things early makes treatment easier – for example, early signs of tooth decayThe lay term for carious lesions in a tooth; decomposition of tooth structure. can potentially be reversed with proper care. While the later stages of decay will require treatment to ensure it doesn’t progress.
Besides prevention, dental visits are also essential for treating any existing issues, helping to save or restore your teeth to a point where invasive and extensive treatment won’t need to be utilised again.  

What happens at the dentist's?

Here’s how you can expect your dental visit to go:

1. Check-in and discuss - At your visit, the dentist will initially ask you how your dental health has been. You must raise a concern or question in order for the dentist to investigate and treat potential issues.
2. Examination - The dentist will then proceed to check the mouth, ensuring the teeth and gums are healthy and aren’t showing any signs of disease or deterioration.
3. Treatment - For patients exhibiting symptoms of a dental condition, the dentist will plan out the most effective treatment. Some dentists may carry out the treatment in the same session, and in some cases, the dentist may need you to return for a follow-up appointment for said treatment.
4. Advice - The last step of your dental visit will outline any advice given by the dentist in order to properly care for the mouth, which might include guidance on quitting smoking or providing tailored advice around medications or treatments.

Once your appointment is finished, make sure to schedule your next appointment. Pre-planning dental appointments can help prevent any issues around not attending the dentist, as well as ensuring you are prepared for the next one.