A general guideline would be to have a regular routine dental visit every 6 months to keep your oral health up to date. Some patients don’t go to the dentist on a regular basis and go there in emergency situations but it is important to keep the regular checkup to prevent any major oral health issues.
All oral issues are better off when they are treated at its earlier phase compare to later phase. For example, if you go to the dentist in pain on a tooth, it is very likely the cavity has gotten already big enough and you would be needing either root canal or extraction, which could have been prevented if the cavity was taken care earlier. Not to mention, even for fillings, bigger fillings may cause more discomfort and sensitivity.
Cavities, which are a bacterial infection on the tooth and periodontal disease can cause infection in the mouth and it can affect your overall health.
What is done in routine visit?
During the regular routine visit, your dentist would be checking for any sign of intra-oral and extra-oral issues to make sure all your oral issues are addressed. Professional cleaning would part of the routine visit. It is recommended every 6 months for most cases, but in some cases, every 4 months visit may be required. Remember, sooner you address the problem, the better outcome it will have.
Thanks for pointing out that we must not wait for any pain to happen since this means that the cavity has spread already that is why we must visit a dentist regularly. With that in mind, I will look for a dentist tomorrow and get my teeth checked. This is for me even if I have never experienced toothache ever. I just might not have enough money in the future in case I need a tooth extraction.