How Often Should You Get Your Teeth Cleaned?

Aside from personal hygiene, professional teeth cleaning is also integral to maintaining a healthy smile. Professional cleaning on a regular basis is important for a number of reasons: it prevents gum disease, helps detect oral cancer, and promotes not only dental but also overall health.

However, the same question remains: how often is “regular?” Is there really a predetermined schedule for professional teeth cleaning that everyone should follow? The short and simple answer is a big “it depends.” If you ask a typical dentist, he likely wouldn’t be able to give you a single, definite answer, though he will probably advise you that you should have your teeth cleaned as often as your personal dental hygienist or local dentist recommends based on your personal dental needs.

The American Dental Association, however, generally recommends having your teeth checked up and cleaned by a dentist at least once a year. As expected, visit frequency can be greater if you have a history of conditions like gum disease. You will need to see your dentist more often to make sure the condition remains properly managed and does not reoccur.

Even with regular visits to the dentist, however, patients with advanced cases of gum disease still need to do their part in maintaining good oral hygiene. Failure to do so can only make the condition worse, even with “regular” dental visits.