What happens at a dental visit and why are regular dental visits important?

April 9, 2022

Spread the love
          

Are you visiting your dentist frequently? It’s estimated that around 82% of people have visited the dentist in the last 2 years. In this blog, we want to cover what a dental check-up includes, how often you should be getting a dentist check-up and what you can expect this to cost.

Let’s cover what will happen in your dental checkup first. Your dentist will ask you about your lifestyle as well as ask about any medications you’re on, this is usually done before giving you an oral exam. When looking at your oral health they will assess your teeth for general health, decay and gum health. None of this should be painful, however, if you do feel pain or discomfort communicate this with your dentist. What else may happen at your check-up appointment? Your dentist will likely want to take an X-ray to compare against your previous X-ray to check for changes. This will help them identify any decay or underlying issues.

How often should you be having a dental check-up? This number varies between once a year and once every 6 months. For those with stable oral health with few other medical conditions once a year is typically enough. For those with active or developing decay, or a medical condition that impacts the health of the teeth you may be recommended to visit the dentist twice per year.

Now for that all-important question… What does a dental checkup cost?

Now, there are two types of practices in the UK, there are private practices and NHS practices. What’s the difference? NHS practices provide care at subsidized costs. They typically only offer general services. Private practices have a higher cost associated, but a higher level of care, they also specialize in other areas too. For an NHS practice check-up you can expect to pay £23.80, and for private practice, you can expect to pay around £70. If you opt for an NHS practice you will be required to be a member, visiting at least once every 2 years to keep your space.

Your check-up is a good opportunity to discuss cosmetic or aesthetic dentistry with your dentist if you would like to explore that option for you. Many cosmetic dentists also practice general dentistry.

Are you currently without a dentist? Having a regular dentist is great because they are familiar with your medical history and you will have good trust with them. If you’re looking for a new dentist, we recommend doing a simple google search for ‘general dentist near me’ you can then compare the websites available and make your decision. We always recommend checking out the reviews to see how they treat their patients.

Here Are Some Relevant Pieces You Can Read About Children’s Dentistry