| How often
should you have a Dental Checkup?
The purpose of a recall visit
is to detect signs of oral disease early, to attend to problems
that need attention and to prevent future disease through
subsequent follow-up visits at regular intervals. Because
every patient has unique oral health needs, the optimal frequency
for recall visits is patient specific. This means it depends
on your individual circumstances.
A recall visit generally consists
of:
· An update of your medical
history;
· Oral cancer screening
· Periodontal evaluation;
· Caries detection and
assessment of existing restorations;
· Plaque control through
scaling, polishing, fluoride applications and oral hygiene
education;
· Gathering of baseline
data (i.e. x-rays and photographs); and
· Diagnosis and treatment
planning.
Recently, the issue of recall
frequency has been subject to debate. Traditional dental plans
encouraged employees to go get their teeth checked every 6
months. Due to cost containment, benefits managers and their
advisors have wondered whether patients need to have their
teeth checked that often. Some felt that reducing the frequency
of dental visits would lower costs. But, actually, the assumption
that reduced frequency means reduced costs may subject patients
to far deeper oral health problems and employers to far deeper
financial commitment that would otherwise have been necessary.
Some literature suggests the
rate of progress of cavities should be the major determining
factor in establishing recall frequency. However, since dental
caries is a process involving demineralization and remineralization
of tooth structure, it does not account for:
· Patient predisposition
to caries which varies from individual to individual;
· The factors affecting
the progression rate of caries, such as fluoride, saliva,
the bacterial count in the mouth and diet;
· The changing patterns
of dental disease;
· The monitoring of suspect
restorations; and
· The presence of other
oral diseases.
Research tells us that at least
80% of the adult population has some form of periodontal disease
and most of us don't even know that we have it. Periodontal
disease is an infection of the gums and other tissues that
support the teeth. The disease takes various forms. A mild
form is called gingivitis and a more serious form is known
as periodontitis. The main factor of periodontal disease is
plaque buildup - which affects the gums and eventually the
tooth sockets which help hold the teeth in place. Ultimately
affected teeth may loosen and eventually fall out. Without
removing plaque regularly, every adult will develop gingivitis,
which may progress to periodontitis and loss of the affected
tooth.
Inevitably, recall frequency
will affect the treatment decision process. Those who go to
the dentist frequently will probably have a low prevalence
of caries and reduced need for major restorations. And, in
the long run, the more frequent dental visits being covered
by benefits packages is a smart economic move. The 6-month
recall interval allows for early detection and monitoring
of disease and motivates the patient to practice preventative
measures.
For more information, please
feel free to ask any of the staff on your next visit. We look
forward to answering any questions you may have concerning
this, or any other topic.
* Source: Canadian
Dental Association
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