DON’T BRUSH OFF DENTAL CHECKUPS
The frequency of visits will depend on needs of the patient
TORONTO Checkups. Cleanings. Xrays. Just how often should Canadians be seen by a dentist to keep their teeth and gums in optimal health?
In part, that depends on a dentist’s philosophy. But it’s the assessment of the patient’s mouth and the risk for future cavities, gum disease or oral cancer that ultimately decide the interval between visits, says Dr. Euan Swan, manager of dental programs at the Canadian Dental Association in Ottawa.
“Those that have active disease or are at the highest risk of developing disease should be seen more frequently than those who do not have disease or are at very low risk,” explains Swan.
That could mean coming back in six or 12 months for a checkup, although cleanings can be scheduled more often: some dental offices want to see adults to polish their pearlies every four months.
Cleaning is not just for esthetics, but to remove built- up gunk between teeth and below the gum line.
“If dental plaque, which is a biofilm that adheres to the tooth, accumulates over time it can harden and become calculus or tartar,” says Swan. “If that builds up on the tooth surface and the root surface, it can cause irritation to the gums and contribute to periodontal disease.”
At the six- month mark, that accumulation is relatively easy to clean off. But going 12 to 18 months between cleanings can make removal more arduous.
“But it does depend on the risk of the individual,” he says. For instance, adults with gum disease who have been treated by a specialist like a periodontist typically are seen three or four times a year for a deep cleaning.
When it comes to kids, the CDA advises that a child’s first dental visit should be scheduled at one year of age or within six months of his or her first tooth erupting.
“In most cases, a dental exam every six months will let your child’s dentist catch small problems early,” the CDA says on its website.
Some dentists, Swan says, prefer to see a child when he or she has all their primary — or baby — teeth, which typically happens by age three. A 2013 study by the Canadian Institute for Health Information showed that about 19,000 children ages one to five require surgical treatment each year because of severe tooth decay. One- third of all day surgeries for preschoolers — who still have their baby teeth — are to perform substantial dental work.
Once kids start losing baby teeth and their six- year molars are coming in — a period known as mixed dentition — Swan says they should probably have a checkup once a year. And when spaces begin showing between the teeth, it’s time to start daily flossing.
How often patients should have dental X- rays is another issue.
For young children, if one or more teeth are not erupting or there’s a mass in the mouth, Xrays can show whether teeth are developing properly, says Dr. Ernest Lam, head of oral and maxillofacial radiology at the University of Toronto. Lam says there are no strict guidelines about how often an adult should have a panoramic X- ray or a full set of bitewing X- rays, the most common types of dental imaging.
Swan says patients should ask their dentist how often they need to be seen for checkups and cleanings — and why — and the same advice goes for X- rays, adds Lam.