Checkups and cleanings are important to your dental and overall health. Although they may seem unimportant, they can prevent more serious issues from developing. So if you are skipping your checkups and cleanings because you think they are an unwarranted expense, and/or an interruption to your schedule, you may want to think again. Take the quiz below to find out why checkups and cleanings are so important.
Multiple Choice Quiz
A. How many times a year should you visit your dentist?
- Only when needed
- Two
- More than two
- B and C
B. Dental cleaning/checkups are meant to:
- Help prevent tooth decay
- Help prevent periodontal disease
- Help prevent tooth loss
- All of the above
C. Another important reason for dental checkups includes:
- An oral cancer screening
- Screening for diabetes
- Checking for cold sores
- None of the above
Answers:
A. 4: It is recommended that you visit your dentist twice a year for a checkup and cleaning. However, you may be required to attend cleanings more often if you have been diagnosed with periodontal disease, or if you have a chronic illness that can affect your oral health such as diabetes.
B. 4: Bi-annual checkup/cleanings are important because they help prevent decay, periodontal disease which is the major cause of tooth loss, and more extensive disease or dental damage from developing.
C. 1: During your bi-annual checkups, your dentist will perform a thorough oral cancer screening. Over 48,000 people will develop oral cavity or oropharyngeal cancer this year. Many pre-cancers and cancers of the oral cavity and oropharynx can be found early, often by dentists during oral cancer screenings, and because survival rates increase when cancer is detected in its earliest stages, it is important not to skip your bi-annual dental checkups/cleanings.
