“Do you really need teeth cleaning every 6 months?”
I am a 25 year old male. I want to know if I really need teeth cleaning every 6 months?
10 Answers
Yes. Now that we are back in the office after COVID shutdowns, we are seeing patients that are very overdue. It makes a big difference.
The frequency that someone needs to have their teeth cleaned depends greatly on the person brushing and flossing habits, there are other factors like a patient's general health. Your dentist can determine how often you need your teeth cleaned by evaluating your oral health at your six month check. Many people need to have their teeth cleaned more frequently than others, some even more frequently than every 6 months.
Hello,
Having dental visits every 6 months is not something that is arbitrarily decided. There are a few reasons why the 6-month time frame is a good time to see a dentist. The first reason to see a dentist once every six months is because of plaque and its harder friend calculus. Plaque is a biofilm that is made up of sugars, proteins, saliva, and most importantly bacteria. We brush our teeth twice a day to disturb the plaque (yes disturb the plaque). It is impossible to get rid of the plaque completely so we knock it down twice a day (think of kicking over an ant hill twice a day, the ants spend all their time rebuilding it). When plaque is sitting in an area long enough the calcium from saliva hardens it. At this point, we refer to it as calculus and it is not able to be brushed off the teeth. It has to be removed by a dentist or hygienist. In most people, this usually peaks around 6 months. Secondly, a complete dental exam is optimal every 6 months because it coincides with the average progression of oral diseases. Having a clean bill of health only lasts for so long before another check up is needed. A frequency of 6 months usually will not allow a cavity to get to a point where it can not be restored with a simple filling. Finally, there are people who wait way longer than 6 months to have a dental cleaning and check-up. These people spend their time assuming they are fine because they do not feel anything is wrong. However, a lot of the time they go to the dentist and get overwhelmed by the amount they need to do to get back to a clean bill of health. For example, last week I saw a patient that has not been to the dentist in over 10 years. He only came in because one of his wisdom teeth broke and was bothering him. After the exam and X-rays, we found that he had chronic periodontist and a few teeth that were loose. His calculus had built up so much that he lost a lot of the bone around his teeth and they became loose. Now he has to come in every 3 months and we have to worry about how much longer he is going to get to keep his teeth!
Hope this helps.
William F. Scott IV, DMD
Having dental visits every 6 months is not something that is arbitrarily decided. There are a few reasons why the 6-month time frame is a good time to see a dentist. The first reason to see a dentist once every six months is because of plaque and its harder friend calculus. Plaque is a biofilm that is made up of sugars, proteins, saliva, and most importantly bacteria. We brush our teeth twice a day to disturb the plaque (yes disturb the plaque). It is impossible to get rid of the plaque completely so we knock it down twice a day (think of kicking over an ant hill twice a day, the ants spend all their time rebuilding it). When plaque is sitting in an area long enough the calcium from saliva hardens it. At this point, we refer to it as calculus and it is not able to be brushed off the teeth. It has to be removed by a dentist or hygienist. In most people, this usually peaks around 6 months. Secondly, a complete dental exam is optimal every 6 months because it coincides with the average progression of oral diseases. Having a clean bill of health only lasts for so long before another check up is needed. A frequency of 6 months usually will not allow a cavity to get to a point where it can not be restored with a simple filling. Finally, there are people who wait way longer than 6 months to have a dental cleaning and check-up. These people spend their time assuming they are fine because they do not feel anything is wrong. However, a lot of the time they go to the dentist and get overwhelmed by the amount they need to do to get back to a clean bill of health. For example, last week I saw a patient that has not been to the dentist in over 10 years. He only came in because one of his wisdom teeth broke and was bothering him. After the exam and X-rays, we found that he had chronic periodontist and a few teeth that were loose. His calculus had built up so much that he lost a lot of the bone around his teeth and they became loose. Now he has to come in every 3 months and we have to worry about how much longer he is going to get to keep his teeth!
Hope this helps.
William F. Scott IV, DMD
Depending on your overall oral health as well as the status of gum disease (gingivitis, periodontitis) and how well you keep your teeth and gum clean, the frequency of dental cleaning can vary between persons. Depending on the clinical diagnosis you receive from your dentist, you may be recommended with a 3-month, 4-month, 6-month, up to 1 year frequency to visit your dentist and dental hygienist for dental cleaning and check up.
That depends on how good patient's teeth, how much decay you have, how many old fillings you have, if you brush and FLOSS regularly and every day at home. Only dentist can tell you if you need cleaning and exam every 6 months or more often. Some people need to have cleaning and exam every 3 months if they are considered to be a High risk for decay development. Interval of 6 months is an average recommended interval.
That is standard practice. But If you have a healthy diet and floss and brush regularly, an annual checkup is okay.
Hello. Yes you really do need a cleaning every 6 months. Many things can change in the mouth within a year and can have harmful effects if not diagnosed. Thanks,
Dr. J
Dr. J
The frequently of professional teeth cleaning should be determined by your dentist or dental hygienist. The frequency is based on your oral health status. If you do not have gingivitis or periodontitis 6 monthly cleaning might be sufficient to maintain good oral health and prevent tooth loss.
Yes
No. If you are 25 years old and a healthy man, brushing teeth at least 2-3 times a day, you may not need teeth cleaning even once a year.
