Seeing a dentist is as important as getting a physical exam with your primary care doctor, but many people neglect to see their dentist until they have a toothache. At Peninsula Community Health Services in Soldotna, AK, the healthcare clinic’s team is here to explain how often you should see a dentist and why.

Even if you don’t have any particular dental issues and have good oral health, you should see the dentist every six months for a regular checkup and cleaning. The dentist can then check for existing problems or risk factors. This helps the dentist detect issues early and begin treatment as soon as possible. Treating dental issues early minimizes the pain you would feel if the problem were to persist without medical attention, and it also saves you the cost of expensive surgery down the road. Often, insurance plans even require that you see the dentist every six months in order to get full coverage and benefits.

If you are more susceptible to dental issues—for instance, if you’ve had a lot of cavities—you may want to visit the dental clinic more often. Patients who are pregnant, smoke, or have cancer, diabetes, or heart disease also require additional visits to the dentist, as each comes with its own risk factors for teeth and gums. Even high levels of stress can lead to dental problems. It’s important to take responsibility for addressing your oral health, as your need for dental visits can change depending on your personal circumstances. Once your dentist has the chance to examine your teeth, they can help you come up with a sustainable schedule for your routine dental visits.

Peninsula Community Health Services offers an emergency walk in clinic for dental services Monday through Friday at 7:45am. Make an appointment by calling (907) 283-7759 or visit their website.