How Often Should You See Your Dentist?

Your phone pings and another Email pops up. It’s from 209 NYC Dental, your dental office.

Gee, I thought I finished with them a few weeks ago; is it time again for a checkup? The days are flying by in a blur. What you thought was moments ago was actually six months. A beautiful smile breaks across your face. I can’t wait to see my hygienist, she makes my teeth so bright and smooth. The doctors are so caring, so skilled, so professional.  At times they actually make me laugh. Going for your twice-a-year checkup at 209 NYC Dental is not a chore; it is necessary and it’s fun.

Once you obey all the rules. You brushed your teeth twice a day for two minutes with a small soft bristle brush. You used non-abrasive fluoride toothpaste, you even flossed every night. There was a minimum of sugar junk food in your diet.

And they Covid hit. We are lucky to brush once a day. Flossing, forget about it. We are up until 1:00AM eating Haagen Dazs. We have missed two dental checkups and when we rinse our mouths there is blood in the sink.

Over 100 million people who should have visited the dentist last year didn’t. There are a lot of patients that need to play catch up.

How Often Should I Visit the Dentist?

For years dentists have been telling patients (as a general rule of thumb) to come in for their twice a year checkups (every six months). For most people, this is the proper interval that is needed to remove plaque and calculus that has almost invisibly accumulated. It is also a proper time to evaluate if any decay has invaded the enamel of the teeth if there are any beginning signs of periodontal disease or oral cancer.

At 209 NYC Dental, we tailor your checkups to fit your individual needs. Some patients who have a low incidence of caries, periodontal disease, and great homecare may be advised to come only once a year.

While others of greater risk may be asked to come every 3 or 4 months, including:

1. Pregnant women
2. Smokers
3. Diabetics
4. People with gum disease
5. People with weak immune systems
6. People who are physically impaired
7. People with special needs
8. People who are prone to cavities and plaque build-up

Why Come In? What Happens?

1. Regular Exams

• Check for caries
• Check for periodontal disease
• Check for oral cancer
• Check for mal-occlusion
• Check for obstructive sleep apnea
• Check for cosmetic considerations
• Discuss proper diet-elimination of sugar
• Discuss brushing and flossing, toothpaste, and rinses
• Discourage smoking and excessive drinking
• Liaison with other healthcare professionals to obtain optimum health for a patient

2. Prevent problems from occurring, nip problems in the bud when they are small

• Remove plaque instead of treating infection
• Do a small white filling,  instead of root canal therapy or an extraction

3. Cleaning (prophylaxis) -make teeth bright, white, and smooth

4. Extra care-treat pathologies like fillings, Invisalign braces, chips, and gingivitis

5. Health issues-work with physicians to treat the systemic disease that may work in concert with periodontal disease

6. Children’s visits-starting at 6 months of age

• Cleanings
• Developmental checkups
• Getting them used to going to the dentist will further them becoming good patients in the future
• When getting older sealants, fluoride treatments, interceptive orthodontics

Make an Appointment with 209 NYC Dental

209 NYC Dental is the oldest continuing dental office in New York City. Established in 1887. We are in the most modern, tranquil, and accessible of settings at E56ST between 2 and 3 avenues. We are open seven days a week and we are a complete multi-specialty office. We accept almost all PPO plans. Please come in for a checkup and start a long-lasting relationship that will always make you smile. Call us at 212-355-2290 to make an appointment today.