Dentists recommend that you see them biannually for a checkup, which gives you plenty of opportunities to communicate with them about your oral health. While your dentist will obviously take the time to check you for all kinds of oral health problems, you can make their job a little easier by asking about specific concerns that you have.

Here are a few issues you could ask a dentist about at your next checkup.

When people think about whom they’ll talk to during a regular checkup they think about the dentist themselves, or maybe the dental hygienist. What they might not consider, however, is the important role that dental assistants play in running the dental office.

If you want to learn a little more about what dental assistants do from day to day, here’s a guide that may give you some more information about their work.