Most people are aware that they should be making and keeping regular visits to their dentist's office.  The American Dental Association has recommended that individuals receive preventative care twice a year.

A standard semiannual dental exam involves taking x-rays, receiving a thorough tooth cleaning and having your teeth examined by the dentist.  Dental examinations can reveal tooth decay and gum disease as shown in x-rays that would not have been visible to the naked eye.  Your dentist is also best suited to treat oral health issues early and thus prevent more serious problems that could result form oral neglect.   During the standard semiannual cleaning process the dentist or dental hygienist will also do a through cleaning of your teeth.  This cleaning is something that you will only be able to receive in your dentist's office.  Special tools are used to remove plaque and tartar both above and below the gum line.  Tartar that is left untreated will cause the gums to become irritated and inflamed.  Eventually this neglect will spread to other parts of the mouth and their body, causing an enormous amount of trauma.

Periodic examinations are essential and not just because of cavity detection.  Periodic examinations are needed to ensure the health of the entire mouth. A mouth that has been allowed to go unchecked over an extended period of time can become the breeding ground for a plethora of other health problems.  Infections that start in the mouth can eventually enter into the blood stream causing respiratory, heart and birth weight complications.

Among these possible infections and diseases that can result from neglecting your semi-annual dental visits is oral cancer.  Oral cancer kills nearly 30,000 Americans annually. Oral cancer is responsible for more deaths that prostate and ovarian cancer combined.  The mortality rates of oral cancer have not improved in the past 10 years and many experts are attributing this epidemic to the fact that too few people see their dentist as often as twice a year.  For whatever reason, individuals are not seeing their dentists as often as they need to despite the fact that with a simple exam oral health problems can be detected and treated early. 
According to the American Dental Association statistics, "one in ten patients have oral lesions that should be investigated, and of the one in ten who do have lesions, 2-3% are cancerous or pre-cancerous."
So you see, a visit to the dentist's office is much more involved than just making sure that you are cavity free.  It could actually save your life.  Many of the harmful diseases that can originate in the mouth can be easily treated if caught within that 6 month period.  Although for some the dentist's office is a scary place that evokes feelings of stress and anxiety, think of how much more anxiety you will feel if you find that your neglect in seeing the dentist has allowed for dangerous infections to grow and endanger your life.
Semiannual teeth cleaning and exams are just as important (of not more so) for children as for adults.  Did you know that the need for preventative care doubles from toddler age to adolescence?  Give your children a strong and healthy foundation for the rest of their lives by taking care of their oral health.