I'm an Adult: Do I Still Need to Go to the Dentist?

Children require frequent visits to the dentist, as their teeth are still developing and they need the additional cleanings to prevent cavities. But aging doesn’t protect you from tooth decay. It only leaves you more vulnerable, especially if you don’t maintain good dental hygiene. 

At Bayside Dental Arts, Andrey Ilyabayev, DDS, provides a full range of dental services, including restorative, aesthetic, and preventive dentistry.  

Making and keeping biannual dental appointments is essential for good oral health and can keep your smile looking clean and charismatic.

Why routine cleanings matter 

It’s easy to understand why dental visits are so important for children. They might struggle to brush their teeth thoroughly and require professional cleanings, they might require orthodontic intervention, or they might develop cavities due to high sugar intake or poor dental hygiene. 

Assuming you received dental care as a child and maintain good hygiene, you might not notice any problems as an adult. Your routine visits to the dentist might become something you reschedule or avoid attending, since your teeth feel fine and look good in the mirror. 

You can handle yellowing with over-the-counter toothpastes and whitening kits, and you might feel secure right up until you get a toothache or your gums start bleeding after each brushing.

By then, you could be facing gum disease, cavities, or even infection, making the matter more serious. You can avoid situations like these with routine dental visits. 

How often adults need a dentist 

At Bayside Dental Arts, we generally recommend that you visit us every six months. This gives Dr. Ilyabayev a chance to evaluate your teeth, look for signs of decay, and polish off any lingering plaque or tartar. 

For most people, this is a manageable schedule that allows us to diagnose and treat any issues before they become significant problems. But certain factors might affect how often you need to visit us for these examinations. 

If you are very thorough with your dental hygiene, frequent visits like these might be unnecessary. Some studies show that visiting twice a year instead of annually doesn’t make a difference for those that take meticulous care of their teeth, brushing thoroughly and flossing twice a day. 

Likewise, those with poor hygiene or a smoking habit might require more frequent oversight. Tobacco use and gum disease can drastically affect your oral health, leaving you at risk of decay and tooth loss. If you cannot stop smoking, you need to brush more often and visit us more frequently because of that habit. 

An examination can give you an idea of what your dental health is like and what kind of schedule you need to keep moving forward. For a consultation, call us today at Bayside Dental Arts in Bayside, Queens, in New York City, or request an appointment online.