“How often should I get a dental cleaning?”
I'm a 24 year old female and haven't seen the dentist for 3 years mainly because I just haven't had the time. How often should I get a dental cleaning?
18 Answers
GET TO THE DENTIST!! You could have a mouth full of decay. Every adult should minimally go twice or three times a year! My team and I get our teeth cleaned every 3 to 4 months. Get your cavity view X-rays once a year for proper diagnosing.
6 months for most people. Some need more like every 4 months if they build calculus easily, or already have gum disease.
Considering your age most likely once every 6 month. But this has to be diagnosed by probing of the tissue and X-rays. In case of periodontitis you need it every 4 or 3 months depends on the severity of the disease.
If your home care is GREAT, maybe you can get by with annual cleanings. Most people need them twice per year.
Generally, you should have your teeth checked and cleaned every 6 months unless you have other gum issues.
Every six months is standard recommendation. Every case is evaluated and many people prone to gum disease need more than two a year.
Every 6 months.
You should get a dental cleaning every six months. Since it has been 3 years, you may need a deep cleaning, or maybe even a regular cleaning followed by a second cleaning. Regular maintenance will keep your teeth and gums healthy.
Anyone concerned about their health should have good hygiene. Your teeth are not an exception and they pose a significant challenge to maintain without a professional cleaning at least once or twice a year.
The average dental patient without periodontal disease should seek professional care every 6 months.
How often you should see your dentist depends on how well you take care of your teeth. With the latest research, gum disease is becoming the ENEMY #1. Yes heredity plays a part but gum disease seems to be the TRIGGER. FLOSSING IS THE MOST IMPORTANT JOB YOU HAVE TO DO. PLAQUE FORMS ON OUR TEETH
EVERY DAY. PLAQUE IS A SEMI CLEAR STICKY SUBSTANCE THAT FORMS ON OUR TEETH EVERY DAY. PLAQUE IS LOADED WITH BACTERIA. EVEN IF YOU DIDN'T EAT, PLAQUE WOULD STILL FORM.
PLAQUE CRYSTALLIZES AFTER 24-48 HOURS IN THAT PLAQUE YOU HAVE LIVING AND DEAD BACTERIA, ROTTING FOOD PARTICLES, LIVING AND DEAD FIGHTING CELLS YOUR BODY HAS SENT TO FIGHT THE BACTERIA AND TOXIC WASTE THAT ALL THOSE CELLS GIVE OFF ALSO KNOWN AS TOXINS. WHILE THE PLAQUE CRYSTALLIZES, YOU HAVE CALCIUM IN YOUR SALIVA THAT ALSO HARDENS. TARTAR STICKS TO YOUR TEETH AND IS HARD TO REMOVE. USUALLY ONLY DENTAL EQUIPMENT CAN REMOVE IT. PLAQUE AND TARTAR SEEM LIKE THEY ARE THE SAME THING. TARTAR IS POROUS AND ALLOWS PLAQUE TO PENETRATE IT ALL THE HE WAY DOWN TO YOUR TOOTH SURFACE. THE TOXIC WASTE OF BACTERIA IS ALSO ACIDIC. THIS ACIDIC MATERIAL TAKES THE CALCIUM OUT OF ENAMEL AND LEAVES "WHITE SPOTS" THAT CAN BECOME CAVITIES. BELOW THE GUMLINE
YOUR BODY SENSES THAT THERE ARE BACTERIA BELOW YOUR GUMLINE AND SENDS FIGHTING CELLS TO FIGHT THESE BACTERIA. YOUR BODY IS FIGHTING AN ATTACK THAT'S GOOD. BUT THE WASTE PRODUCTS CREATED WHILE FIGHTING THIS FIGHT IS IRRITATING YOUR TISSUES BELOW YOUR GUMLINE. YOUR TISSUES MAY BLEED, BECOME SWOLLEN AND RED. YOU PROBABLY WON'T HAVE ANY PAIN.
IF YOU VISIT YOUR DENTIST, YOU MAY HAVE
BEEN TOLD THAT YOU HAVE GINGIVITIS.
When your gums bleed when you floss and brush most people stop flossing and brushing.
THAT'S the worst thing you can do. Patients can be flossing wrong or sporadic. Patients may be brushing wrong or not daily.
Flossing correctly, you take floss. Finger flossing is the best. You wrap the floss around your pointer finger of each hand. I like GLIDE floss. It is made of teflon and it scrapes the plaque and food particles between your teeth at the gumline. You eat every day and you should be flossing every day. There is no tooth brush that can get between your teeth at the gumline. You floss BEHIND the last tooth in your mouth and go around to the opposite side behind the last tooth, upper and lower. Now you take a soft toothbrush starting at one corner of your mouth, upper or lower. Brush BEHIND the last tooth at the tooth gumline. Placing your toothbrush i/2 above the gumline and 1/2 below the gumline. You brush gently back and forth several times then move forward to the next two-three teeth. Brushing back and forth several times gently then moving to the next teeth. You go all around to the opposite side brush BEHIND the last tooth on that side then move to the tongue or palate gumline. Many patients forget that you have bone and tooth supporting structures at the gumline where your tongue and palate are.
You place your toothbrush on the gumline. I/2 toothbrush above the gumline and 1/2 below the gumline. You brush gently back and forth several times then move your toothbrush forward. You go all around to the opposite side and brush the last tooth. Now you brush the flat surfaces of your teeth. Start on one arch, upper or lower, go around to the opposite side. Then you brush the opposite arch. Rinse your mouth with warm salt water. 1/2 teaspoon salt to one 8 oz. glass of warm water. Now you clean your tongue. Using your tooth brush is not a good idea. You can buy a tongue cleaner or you can take a teaspoon turn the teaspoon so the round part faces your palate. Place the teaspoon in the middle of your as far back as you can without
gagging. Gently scrape forward out of your mouth. You will see a slimy whitish material.
THAT IS WHAT WAS HIDING IN THE NOOKS AND CRANNIES OF YOUR TONGUE. RINSE YOUR TEASPOON OFF AND DO THE OTHER TWO SIDES. RINSE YOUR MOUTH WITH WARM SALT WATER THEN GARGLE. IF YOU ONLY HAVE YOUR TEETH PROFESSIONALLY CLEANED ONCE OR TWICE A YEAR AND DON'T FLOSS YOU WILL LOOSE YOUR TEETH, EVENTUALLY. IF YOU DON'T TAKE CARE OF YOUR TEETH, YOU WILL HAVE GUM DISEASE.
GUM DISEASE STARTS AND PROGRESSIVELY, SLOWLY DESTROYS YOUR TOOTH SUPPORTING STRUCTURES. AT FIRST YOUR BODY FIGHTS GUM DISEASE
EVERY DAY. PLAQUE IS A SEMI CLEAR STICKY SUBSTANCE THAT FORMS ON OUR TEETH EVERY DAY. PLAQUE IS LOADED WITH BACTERIA. EVEN IF YOU DIDN'T EAT, PLAQUE WOULD STILL FORM.
PLAQUE CRYSTALLIZES AFTER 24-48 HOURS IN THAT PLAQUE YOU HAVE LIVING AND DEAD BACTERIA, ROTTING FOOD PARTICLES, LIVING AND DEAD FIGHTING CELLS YOUR BODY HAS SENT TO FIGHT THE BACTERIA AND TOXIC WASTE THAT ALL THOSE CELLS GIVE OFF ALSO KNOWN AS TOXINS. WHILE THE PLAQUE CRYSTALLIZES, YOU HAVE CALCIUM IN YOUR SALIVA THAT ALSO HARDENS. TARTAR STICKS TO YOUR TEETH AND IS HARD TO REMOVE. USUALLY ONLY DENTAL EQUIPMENT CAN REMOVE IT. PLAQUE AND TARTAR SEEM LIKE THEY ARE THE SAME THING. TARTAR IS POROUS AND ALLOWS PLAQUE TO PENETRATE IT ALL THE HE WAY DOWN TO YOUR TOOTH SURFACE. THE TOXIC WASTE OF BACTERIA IS ALSO ACIDIC. THIS ACIDIC MATERIAL TAKES THE CALCIUM OUT OF ENAMEL AND LEAVES "WHITE SPOTS" THAT CAN BECOME CAVITIES. BELOW THE GUMLINE
YOUR BODY SENSES THAT THERE ARE BACTERIA BELOW YOUR GUMLINE AND SENDS FIGHTING CELLS TO FIGHT THESE BACTERIA. YOUR BODY IS FIGHTING AN ATTACK THAT'S GOOD. BUT THE WASTE PRODUCTS CREATED WHILE FIGHTING THIS FIGHT IS IRRITATING YOUR TISSUES BELOW YOUR GUMLINE. YOUR TISSUES MAY BLEED, BECOME SWOLLEN AND RED. YOU PROBABLY WON'T HAVE ANY PAIN.
IF YOU VISIT YOUR DENTIST, YOU MAY HAVE
BEEN TOLD THAT YOU HAVE GINGIVITIS.
When your gums bleed when you floss and brush most people stop flossing and brushing.
THAT'S the worst thing you can do. Patients can be flossing wrong or sporadic. Patients may be brushing wrong or not daily.
Flossing correctly, you take floss. Finger flossing is the best. You wrap the floss around your pointer finger of each hand. I like GLIDE floss. It is made of teflon and it scrapes the plaque and food particles between your teeth at the gumline. You eat every day and you should be flossing every day. There is no tooth brush that can get between your teeth at the gumline. You floss BEHIND the last tooth in your mouth and go around to the opposite side behind the last tooth, upper and lower. Now you take a soft toothbrush starting at one corner of your mouth, upper or lower. Brush BEHIND the last tooth at the tooth gumline. Placing your toothbrush i/2 above the gumline and 1/2 below the gumline. You brush gently back and forth several times then move forward to the next two-three teeth. Brushing back and forth several times gently then moving to the next teeth. You go all around to the opposite side brush BEHIND the last tooth on that side then move to the tongue or palate gumline. Many patients forget that you have bone and tooth supporting structures at the gumline where your tongue and palate are.
You place your toothbrush on the gumline. I/2 toothbrush above the gumline and 1/2 below the gumline. You brush gently back and forth several times then move your toothbrush forward. You go all around to the opposite side and brush the last tooth. Now you brush the flat surfaces of your teeth. Start on one arch, upper or lower, go around to the opposite side. Then you brush the opposite arch. Rinse your mouth with warm salt water. 1/2 teaspoon salt to one 8 oz. glass of warm water. Now you clean your tongue. Using your tooth brush is not a good idea. You can buy a tongue cleaner or you can take a teaspoon turn the teaspoon so the round part faces your palate. Place the teaspoon in the middle of your as far back as you can without
gagging. Gently scrape forward out of your mouth. You will see a slimy whitish material.
THAT IS WHAT WAS HIDING IN THE NOOKS AND CRANNIES OF YOUR TONGUE. RINSE YOUR TEASPOON OFF AND DO THE OTHER TWO SIDES. RINSE YOUR MOUTH WITH WARM SALT WATER THEN GARGLE. IF YOU ONLY HAVE YOUR TEETH PROFESSIONALLY CLEANED ONCE OR TWICE A YEAR AND DON'T FLOSS YOU WILL LOOSE YOUR TEETH, EVENTUALLY. IF YOU DON'T TAKE CARE OF YOUR TEETH, YOU WILL HAVE GUM DISEASE.
GUM DISEASE STARTS AND PROGRESSIVELY, SLOWLY DESTROYS YOUR TOOTH SUPPORTING STRUCTURES. AT FIRST YOUR BODY FIGHTS GUM DISEASE
For each person, the answer is different. The last time you saw your dentist, were you told that you had any cavities? Were you told that you needed to floss and brush correctly daily? Plaque forms on OUR teeth every day. Plaque is a SEMI CLEAR STICKY MATERIAL THAT IS LOADED WITH BACTERIA. When we eat, tiny food particles provide food for the bacteria. We can't see what is happening at first. The bacteria
eat, multiply and give off toxic waste(toxins). Plaque crystalizes after 24 to 48 hours. With the
the calcium in your saliva, the crystalized plaque, the rotting food particles, living bacteria, dead bacteria and the fighting cells your body sends to fight the bacteria, living and dead fighting cells forms tartar. Tartar is extremely hard to remove. Dental equipment is needed. You would think that tartar should be protective. Tartar is irritating to gum tissue but should possibly protect tooth structure? WRONG!. Tartar is porous. PLAQUE and bacteria and the family of characters can penetrate the tartar. On tooth structure the acids can decalcify the enamel. I see patients with white decalcifications at the gum line on all back teeth.
If these white spots become cavities it will cost big BUCKS to repair. If you have dental insurance you have a yearly limit and you will max out your insurance. If your dentist is KIND he will give you a special rate to fix these gum line cavities. With medical insurance and treatments such as physical therapy your medical insurance contract is with your insurance company and the facility. When you have maxed out your PHYSICAL THERAPY benefits, your fee to extend treatment runs into hundreds per treatment and if you are in a facility you are PAYING THOUSANDS/ PER WEEK TO REMAIN IN THE FACILITY. YOU CAN appeal but by that time you have been sent home and you have to go back to the facility for 3-4 extra days
This means that the plaque and bacteria penetrates the tartar and gets on your tooth surface. Plaque bacteria, tiny rotting food particles form acids. These acids attack the enamel on your teeth. Those white spots that you see on people who wore braces are decalcifications. These decalcifications are weak areas on your tooth surface. If you leave food and debris around your gum line, your may
have those white spots around your teeth. These areas are weak and become cavities. Gum line cavities should be restored immediately. At the gum line the pulp chamber is the closest to the outer surface of your teeth.
If your gum line cavities penetrate the pulp, you may try to save your tooth or teeth with root canal. NOT ALL ROOT CANALS WORK!
Now it is not only the cavities you have to worry about. You may have bacteria from plaque, tartar and cavities above your gum line. Every time you eat, swallow you are swallowing millions of bacteria. You may have had warnings
bleeding gums, gingivitis, bad taste, mouth odor? Your body bends over backwards to fight to protect you from gum disease. You have a band of tissue called ATTACHED GINGIVA. This
tissue is 2-3mm wide. You may wonder why the food you eat doesn't go down to your roots? This ATTACHED GINGIVA is firmly bound to your tooth cementum that coats the root surface below the gum line. By not removing plaque daily, your body is fighting this plaque attack party. With your gingivitis and inflamed gum tissue, your body's fighting is slowly wearing away your ATTACHMENT. Once your ATTACHMENT is gone, the plaque, tartar bacteria party is now attacking the bone and supporting tissues around your teeth. The bacteria plaque tartar party above your gum line can make you nauseous and upset your stomach. The same party is now attacking your tooth bone supporting structures below your gum line. The bacteria, toxins are not just staying below your gum line. They are entering the larger blood vessels. Bacteria, rotting food,toxic wastes are entering your blood vessels. Your blood vessels are lined with living
cells. When this toxic party enters your blood vessels, toxic wastes are being carried all over your body and organs. Yes it takes a long time but once the toxins are entering your blood vessels your body is now overwhelmed. You may have uncontrolled high blood pressure or high sugar levels. Your family genetics are now getting READY to activate. 30, 40, years from now ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE, HEART PROBLEMS, DIABETES, LUNG ISSUES, BLADDER CANCER, ARTHRITIS, BLOOD CANCERS ARE CONNECTED TO GUM DISEASE.
DAILY, NEW BODY SYSTEMS ARE BEING ANNOUNCED. OUR OFFICE HAS SEEN PATIENTS WHO FLOSS AND BRUSH CORRECTLY FOR YEARS. THEIR GUMS ARE HEALTHY, AND WHATEVER HEALTH ISSUES THEY HAVE ARE MINOR.
THOSE PATIENTS WHO DO NOT FLOSS OR BRUSH CORRECTLY, SEE THEIR DENTIST WHEN
SOMETHING HURTS OR THERE IS A COSMETIC
EMERGENCY, HAVE MASSIVE DENTAL WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE TWO YEARS AGO.
MANY OF THESE PATIENTS HAVE SERIOUS HEALTH PROBLEMS. IMAGINE NOT HAVING YOUR TEETH CHECKED AND CLEANED FOR FIVE YEARS OR MORE? IF YOU FLOSS AND BRUSH CORRECTLY DAILY YOU CAN WAIT TO HAVE YOUR TEETH CHECKED AND CLEANED.
IF YOU SPEND THE TIME TAKING CARE OF YOUR TEETH, THOSE PATIENTS WANT TO KNOW THE CONDITION OF THEIR TEETH. YOU CAN HAVE CAVITIES OR OTHER PROBLEMS THAT NEED CARE. IF YOU HAVE BEEN CARELESS WITH YOUR HOME CARE NOW IS THE TIME TO GET YOUR DENTAL WORK DONE AND START DOING HOME CARE CORRECTLY.
YOU BODY WILL REWARD YOU WITH GOOD HEALTH NOW AND IN THE FUTURE. I KNOW THAT I HAVE USED YOUR QUESTION TO EXPAND ABOUT WHY HOME CARE IS IMPORTANT AND WHY YOU NEED TO SEE YOUR DENTIST ON YOUR REGULAR SCHEDULE. WE DENTISTS HAVE SEEN THE PATIENTS WHO DO NOT PRACTICE GOOD HOME CARE. THEY FAR OUTNUMBER THE PATIENTS WHO DO GOOD HOME CARE. THE COST OF PROVIDING MEDICAL AND DENTAL CARE TO THE PATIENTS WHO HAVE NOT TAKEN CARE OF THEIR TEETH WILL BANKRUPT OUR COUNTRY HUNDREDS OF TIMES OVER.
WE HAVE TO EDUCATE PATIENTS THAT THEY HAVE TO DO WHAT THEY HAVE TO- TO START TAKING CARE OF THEIR TEETH. THE HYGIENE GENIE DOES NOT VISIT OUR HOMES EVERY NIGHT AT 8:00 P.M. YOU-EACH ONE OF US HAS TO TAKE CARE OF OUR OWN TEETH.
eat, multiply and give off toxic waste(toxins). Plaque crystalizes after 24 to 48 hours. With the
the calcium in your saliva, the crystalized plaque, the rotting food particles, living bacteria, dead bacteria and the fighting cells your body sends to fight the bacteria, living and dead fighting cells forms tartar. Tartar is extremely hard to remove. Dental equipment is needed. You would think that tartar should be protective. Tartar is irritating to gum tissue but should possibly protect tooth structure? WRONG!. Tartar is porous. PLAQUE and bacteria and the family of characters can penetrate the tartar. On tooth structure the acids can decalcify the enamel. I see patients with white decalcifications at the gum line on all back teeth.
If these white spots become cavities it will cost big BUCKS to repair. If you have dental insurance you have a yearly limit and you will max out your insurance. If your dentist is KIND he will give you a special rate to fix these gum line cavities. With medical insurance and treatments such as physical therapy your medical insurance contract is with your insurance company and the facility. When you have maxed out your PHYSICAL THERAPY benefits, your fee to extend treatment runs into hundreds per treatment and if you are in a facility you are PAYING THOUSANDS/ PER WEEK TO REMAIN IN THE FACILITY. YOU CAN appeal but by that time you have been sent home and you have to go back to the facility for 3-4 extra days
This means that the plaque and bacteria penetrates the tartar and gets on your tooth surface. Plaque bacteria, tiny rotting food particles form acids. These acids attack the enamel on your teeth. Those white spots that you see on people who wore braces are decalcifications. These decalcifications are weak areas on your tooth surface. If you leave food and debris around your gum line, your may
have those white spots around your teeth. These areas are weak and become cavities. Gum line cavities should be restored immediately. At the gum line the pulp chamber is the closest to the outer surface of your teeth.
If your gum line cavities penetrate the pulp, you may try to save your tooth or teeth with root canal. NOT ALL ROOT CANALS WORK!
Now it is not only the cavities you have to worry about. You may have bacteria from plaque, tartar and cavities above your gum line. Every time you eat, swallow you are swallowing millions of bacteria. You may have had warnings
bleeding gums, gingivitis, bad taste, mouth odor? Your body bends over backwards to fight to protect you from gum disease. You have a band of tissue called ATTACHED GINGIVA. This
tissue is 2-3mm wide. You may wonder why the food you eat doesn't go down to your roots? This ATTACHED GINGIVA is firmly bound to your tooth cementum that coats the root surface below the gum line. By not removing plaque daily, your body is fighting this plaque attack party. With your gingivitis and inflamed gum tissue, your body's fighting is slowly wearing away your ATTACHMENT. Once your ATTACHMENT is gone, the plaque, tartar bacteria party is now attacking the bone and supporting tissues around your teeth. The bacteria plaque tartar party above your gum line can make you nauseous and upset your stomach. The same party is now attacking your tooth bone supporting structures below your gum line. The bacteria, toxins are not just staying below your gum line. They are entering the larger blood vessels. Bacteria, rotting food,toxic wastes are entering your blood vessels. Your blood vessels are lined with living
cells. When this toxic party enters your blood vessels, toxic wastes are being carried all over your body and organs. Yes it takes a long time but once the toxins are entering your blood vessels your body is now overwhelmed. You may have uncontrolled high blood pressure or high sugar levels. Your family genetics are now getting READY to activate. 30, 40, years from now ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE, HEART PROBLEMS, DIABETES, LUNG ISSUES, BLADDER CANCER, ARTHRITIS, BLOOD CANCERS ARE CONNECTED TO GUM DISEASE.
DAILY, NEW BODY SYSTEMS ARE BEING ANNOUNCED. OUR OFFICE HAS SEEN PATIENTS WHO FLOSS AND BRUSH CORRECTLY FOR YEARS. THEIR GUMS ARE HEALTHY, AND WHATEVER HEALTH ISSUES THEY HAVE ARE MINOR.
THOSE PATIENTS WHO DO NOT FLOSS OR BRUSH CORRECTLY, SEE THEIR DENTIST WHEN
SOMETHING HURTS OR THERE IS A COSMETIC
EMERGENCY, HAVE MASSIVE DENTAL WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE TWO YEARS AGO.
MANY OF THESE PATIENTS HAVE SERIOUS HEALTH PROBLEMS. IMAGINE NOT HAVING YOUR TEETH CHECKED AND CLEANED FOR FIVE YEARS OR MORE? IF YOU FLOSS AND BRUSH CORRECTLY DAILY YOU CAN WAIT TO HAVE YOUR TEETH CHECKED AND CLEANED.
IF YOU SPEND THE TIME TAKING CARE OF YOUR TEETH, THOSE PATIENTS WANT TO KNOW THE CONDITION OF THEIR TEETH. YOU CAN HAVE CAVITIES OR OTHER PROBLEMS THAT NEED CARE. IF YOU HAVE BEEN CARELESS WITH YOUR HOME CARE NOW IS THE TIME TO GET YOUR DENTAL WORK DONE AND START DOING HOME CARE CORRECTLY.
YOU BODY WILL REWARD YOU WITH GOOD HEALTH NOW AND IN THE FUTURE. I KNOW THAT I HAVE USED YOUR QUESTION TO EXPAND ABOUT WHY HOME CARE IS IMPORTANT AND WHY YOU NEED TO SEE YOUR DENTIST ON YOUR REGULAR SCHEDULE. WE DENTISTS HAVE SEEN THE PATIENTS WHO DO NOT PRACTICE GOOD HOME CARE. THEY FAR OUTNUMBER THE PATIENTS WHO DO GOOD HOME CARE. THE COST OF PROVIDING MEDICAL AND DENTAL CARE TO THE PATIENTS WHO HAVE NOT TAKEN CARE OF THEIR TEETH WILL BANKRUPT OUR COUNTRY HUNDREDS OF TIMES OVER.
WE HAVE TO EDUCATE PATIENTS THAT THEY HAVE TO DO WHAT THEY HAVE TO- TO START TAKING CARE OF THEIR TEETH. THE HYGIENE GENIE DOES NOT VISIT OUR HOMES EVERY NIGHT AT 8:00 P.M. YOU-EACH ONE OF US HAS TO TAKE CARE OF OUR OWN TEETH.
This answer depends on many patient-specific factors. Many people can maintain healthy by having cleanings every 6 months, while some patients need more frequent visits.
Dental cleanings are recommended 2, 3 or 4 times a year depending on the health of your mouth It is time for you to have a thorough oral evaluation. Your frequency of professional cleanings can be recommended then.
For a perfect and well controlled dental health every 3 months hygiene recall is recommended.
The average person should get a dental cleaning every 6 months. Depending on your needs and hygiene, your dentist might want see you in shorter or longer intervals.
You should get a dental cleaning every 6 months. If, however, you needed a deep cleaning, your dentist should bring you every 3 months for a maintanence program to make sure your gum tissues are healing properly.
Standard of care is 2 cleanings a year. Assuming no Periodontal disease. I strongly recommend you make a dental appointment ASAP.
