# How Often Do I Need To See A Dentist?



## Park (Sep 11, 2010)

I brush my teeth twice daily, use Listerine twice daily and floss once daily. I don't smoke; I'm not diabetic; I drink modestly; I had a cavity filled a year ago (first one in 23 years). 

How often do I need to see a dentist? After cleaning my teeth three years ago, a dental hygienist told me that I needed a checkup yearly. However, the standard seems to be every 6 months. But when one looks at the evidence backing this recommendation, it's not strong. See the link below for a summary of the evidence relating frequency of dental visits to outcome:

http://blogs.crikey.com.au/croakey/...ld-you-see-a-dentist-the-answer-may-make-you/

If it gives better results, I have no objection to seeing a dentist every 6 months, or more frequent than that. But I'm uncertain as to the relationship of frequency to improved outcome.


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## fraser (May 15, 2010)

Now that we are off a dental plan, we are moving to nine months at the suggestion of our dentist...and based on our past history.

We will try this to see how it goes. In the past we have always been covered and have been diligent about going every 6-8 months.


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## m3s (Apr 3, 2010)

1 year is perfectly fine imo if you have good hygiene and healthy teeth/gums... I go to a public paid dentist and sometimes they only do a checkup after a year. No cavities yet. Some people they do see every 6 months

When I was a teen the insurance-paid dentist was chomping at the bit to load my mouth full of metal. I was skeptical and went to another dentist, who said I needed nothing. How would you ever know after the fact?

Aparently every kid has cavities nowadays just like all kids need orthodontics, and Ritalin etc


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## Eclectic12 (Oct 20, 2010)

m3s said:


> ... When I was a teen the insurance-paid dentist was chomping at the bit to load my mouth full of metal. I was skeptical and went to another dentist, who said I needed nothing.
> 
> How would you ever know after the fact?


It's good that you went for a second opinion ... however, when one can feel the hole in the tooth with one's tongue, it's pretty clear there's a cavity.




m3s said:


> ... Aparently every kid has cavities nowadays just like all kids need orthodontics, and Ritalin etc


If it's a dentist padding their pocket - then yes. 

If one has a good dentist as does my niece, she has zero cavities & no metal or other substance fillings. As usual, buyer beware.


Cheers


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## kcowan (Jul 1, 2010)

I see once a year as more than you need. Until they find stuff that needed attention, there is little justification for dental attention.

I have a dental plan that pays for cleaning every 9 months. I go once a year because it is easier to remember. I get staining from coffee and red wine so they really need to work at it.


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## nathan79 (Feb 21, 2011)

If you needed to go more than once a year, they'd definitely tell you. Based on your history it sounds like once a year is fine for you.

I have to go twice a year since I don't have good genes for teeth. Both my parents started losing their teeth in their 50's despite having a healthy diet and taking care of their teeth.


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## Toronto.gal (Jan 8, 2010)

OP may be interested in some of the comments here also:
http://canadianmoneyforum.com/showthread.php/14792-Dentist


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## NorthKC (Apr 1, 2013)

Many dentists (including those with low overhead expenses) recommend 2 visits a year simply because so much can happen in 1 year. I hear stories from friends that they caught a medical issue based on the condition of their mouth. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure in my opinion. With that said, if you are one of the lucky few who have really good genes and have really good habits AND the dentist recommends an annual visit only, then follow that.


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## reccoso (Dec 16, 2010)

dotnet_nerd said:


> The modern dental industry is a scam and a racket - "drill-n-fill". Tooth decay can not only be prevented, but actually _reversed_.
> 
> Here'a a book I highly recommend
> http://www.amazon.ca/Cure-Tooth-Decay-Cavities-Nutrition/dp/0982021305
> ...


You must be on crack. Because what you said makes no sense. Does your diet also fix broken bones, tumors and open flesh wounds??


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## gibor365 (Apr 1, 2011)

I had the same question  as far as we 100% , I don`t really care financially..... but I suspect dentist on purpose waht to do cleaning, full check up etc frequently (as insurance allowed) in order to grab more money.... 
The dentists prices are ridiculous in canada because of the insurances.... in Israel dental insurance much less popular and dental tretments in Israel were 10 times cheaper with same quality


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## donald (Apr 18, 2011)

Once a year for me.
You have above average dental care at home plus your young,you could go once every 18mths!
childhood dental care and teeth genetics count though


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## carverman (Nov 8, 2010)

dotnet_nerd said:


> The modern dental industry is a scam and a racket - "drill-n-fill". Tooth decay can not only be prevented, but actually _reversed_.
> 
> Here'a a book I highly recommend
> 
> ...


That's the miracle I am looking for as I have a couple teeth missing over the years and I want them back.:biggrin:


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## carverman (Nov 8, 2010)

gibor said:


> I had the same question  as far as we 100% , I don`t really care financially..... but I suspect dentist on purpose waht to do cleaning, full check up etc frequently (as insurance allowed) in order to grab more money....
> The dentists prices are ridiculous in canada because of the insurances.... in Israel dental insurance much less popular and dental tretments in Israel were 10 times cheaper with same quality


Dentists and lawyers are given licences to print money.:biggrin: ..and they certainly got a lot of mine over the years.


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## SpIcEz (Jan 8, 2013)

@reccoso

1.Actually yes, diet can affect how your bones heal (obviously, it needs to be set after a break and put in a cast to prevent it moving) but your diet will DEFINITELY affect the healing process, calcium and other vitamins and minerals will do that;
2. Cancer is a different animal, you are being disingenuous;
3. Open flesh wounds need to be cleaned and dressed, and sometimes need sutures for it to mend straight, however YES your diet will affect how quickly your flesh mends and heals.

Now, I dont know if the proper minerals can repair a tooth cavity... but I'm certainly intrigued enough to read the book.


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## andrewf (Mar 1, 2010)

I found a pdf of the book. It seems he's mostly recommending eating organs to get fat soluble vitamins. Then there is some pseudoscience about phytic acid. Phytic acid is in a lot of staple foods, including those eaten the people with miraculously healthy teeth.


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## Spudd (Oct 11, 2011)

Yeah, I got the book from the library and the diet recommended would be impossible for me to follow. The one takeaway I got was that drinking cod liver oil is beneficial. But I haven't been motivated enough to try. I don't even know where you can buy cod liver oil.


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## MoneyGal (Apr 24, 2009)

Pretty much any health food store, for reals. I've been taking CLO since I was a kid and there were no unflavoured versions. But I'm not actually an adherent of Weston Price. My parents have been following the research on Vitamin D for a long time (many decades) and CLO is a very good source of D.


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## andrewf (Mar 1, 2010)

dotnet, instead of being cagey about what you actually did, can you spell it out? Was it just cod liver oil?

I get suspicious whenever I hear that you just need to buy a book to get the answer. None of the reviews actually revealed what the author recommended, which I find very bothersome. You should not have to buy and read the whole book to get a two or three sentence summary of his recommendations.


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## Addy (Mar 12, 2010)

gibor said:


> I had the same question  as far as we 100% , I don`t really care financially..... but I suspect dentist on purpose waht to do cleaning, full check up etc frequently (as insurance allowed) in order to grab more money....
> The dentists prices are ridiculous in canada because of the insurances.... in Israel dental insurance much less popular and dental tretments in Israel were 10 times cheaper with same quality


Same for Thailand, only the quality apparently is much better than the US or Canada. A few people I've spoken with have subsidized their flight to Thailand by having major dental work done while on vacation. Although that doesn't sound very relaxing to me for a vacation.


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## Toronto.gal (Jan 8, 2010)

carverman said:


> That's the miracle I am looking for as I have a couple teeth missing over the years and I want them back.:biggrin:


ROFL. :biggrin:


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## Nemo2 (Mar 1, 2012)

Same with Algodones:

http://www.dentistsofalgodones.com/


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## andrewf (Mar 1, 2010)

Sorry dotnet, I didn't mean to cast aspersions on you--I know you have no vested interest. I just get that infomercial feeling when people rave about a book (or other such product) being good without giving a hint as to its conclusions. (just 5 easy payments of 19.99)

There's a lot of junk out there being peddled in this way.


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## Synergy (Mar 18, 2013)

FYI: Dr. Francis Pottenger - a little history.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRR8V2v8h5U

Riddled with mis-information and pseudoscience - price foundation.
http://www.beyondveg.com/tu-j-l/raw-cooked/raw-cooked-1h.shtml
http://www.vegsource.com/news/2010/07/the-truth-about-the-weston-price-foundation.html

Nutrition and Oral Health - from a Dental Health Foundation:

*Frequent consumption of sugar-containing foods and drinks is the most important cause of tooth decay.

*Twenty-three percent of 8-year-olds and 40% of 15-year-olds consume sweet snacks or drinks between normal meals three or more times a day10; half (48%) of all adults snack between meals, most commonly on biscuits and cakes.

*More than 8 out of 10 adults (86%) consume at least three servings a day of foods high in fats and sugar. The Food Pyramid recommends that these foods are best avoided and limited to "no more than 1 serving a day maximum and ideally not everyday."

*Poor nutrition is a "shared common risk factor" for cardiovascular diseases, cancer, obesity and oral diseases.

*A healthy diet for oral health should be promoted as part of general nutrition advice.


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## Ag Driver (Dec 13, 2012)

I go once a year for a clean and polish. No issues so far aside from coffee stains. :biggrin:


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## Synergy (Mar 18, 2013)

Back to the OP's original question...

I recall speaking with a few dental hygienists and I quote "if people took care of their teeth and overall oral health, we would be out of a job". Think about it, if you see a dental hygienists once per year, how much impact do you think that will have considering you are responsible for taking care of your teeth for the remaining 364 days? You could possibly undo all the good that the hygienist had done in as little as 2-3 days of not brushing properly, not flossing and eating too many sweets that get stuck in the crevices of your teeth and build up that hard plaque along the gum lines.

People generally don't take good care of their oral health so regular dental check ups and hygienist appointments are important - some more than others. But remember that correlation does not necessarily imply causation. And, I would argue that your daily dental care habits are way more important than the 40 min hygiene appointments that you get once or twice per year. Just my 2 cents worth...


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## Dave (Apr 5, 2009)

dotnet_nerd said:


> ... started taking CLO and still do so ...


Are you taking the fermented CLO or the regular supermarket one ?


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## carverman (Nov 8, 2010)

dotnet_nerd said:


> -bought butter made from green-grass fed cows. The reasons why are too lengthy to get into but Google Weston Price's research on this. Something about vitamin K2


Ah yes..grassfed cows..vs GMO cows by Montsanto injected with hormones to produce 50% more milk that the big milk producers use.
Now about that K2...
here's the explanation as offered by Wiki
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitamin_K
if you can understand it, you are off to a good start self healing teeth and maybe growing new teeth. 

All we need now to get around this genome thing is some shark hormones injected in us to start the process of
growing new teeth when ours fall out..and we can put the dentists out of business. 
Now where is Montsanto when we need them. :biggrin:


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## Rusty O'Toole (Feb 1, 2012)

reccoso said:


> You must be on crack. Because what you said makes no sense. Does your diet also fix broken bones, tumors and open flesh wounds??


Yes your diet can help heal broken bones, tumors and open flesh wounds. I don't know anything about any tooth healing diet but can tell you, that what you eat and drink has a big effect on your immune system and healing powers. This is hardly a secret. There have been health spas for over 100 years that cure by diet and fasting.

Every doctor can tell you that spontaneous remission of cancer really happens. I suggest it is because the body's immune system or healing power gets the upper hand over the cancer. I don't know what other logical reason there could be.

If this is true, then anything we can do to nourish our immune system and healing powers must contribute to better health and less disease. That is logical isn't it?

There is plenty of scientific evidence that people who take vitamin C, vitamin D and vitamin E have less incidence of cancer and in some cases people have reversed or cured cancer by better diet and vitamins.

I know a cancer patient right now, who is taking part in a scientific study that involves drinking a green drink made from some kind of fresh plant leaves. Whether it works or not we don't know yet, but there is at least enough evidence that the scientists and doctors involved are taking it seriously.


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## Green (Mar 25, 2014)

Dental cleaning very 9 to 12 month, otherwise you risk receding gums. Avoid eating sugar and sweets.
We get only a no frill cleaning, for $110 to $150. We have a waterpick attached to a water tap.
It massages and rinses gums and removes food better than electric brushes.


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## Synergy (Mar 18, 2013)

Rusty O'Toole said:


> Yes your diet can help heal broken bones, tumors and open flesh wounds. I don't know anything about any tooth healing diet but can tell you, that what you eat and drink has a big effect on your immune system and healing powers. This is hardly a secret. There have been health spas for over 100 years that cure by diet and fasting.


It's really more of a case of "malnutrition" hindering tissue healing. Even the Standard American Diet (SAD) won't delay the healing process (cuts, broken bones, etc.) to any significant measurable degree. SAD - generally refers to overfed and relatively undernourished. Be careful with the post hoc ergo proptor hoc fallacy. There are just as many individuals that go to these alternative health facilities and either end up having to eventually go the chemo / radiation route or end up dying than there are that go into spontaneous remission. Additionally, some may have gone into remission even without all the raw food, juice fasting, etc. There are numerous so called treatments claiming to cure cancer - from nutritional therapies, to prayer, to colonics, to acupuncture, etc. and numerous individuals claiming to be cured from these very therapies while at the same time there is no conclusive supportive scientific evidence for any one therapy.



Rusty O'Toole said:


> There is plenty of scientific evidence that people who take vitamin C, vitamin D and vitamin E have less incidence of cancer and in some cases people have reversed or cured cancer by better diet and vitamins.


Be careful with correlational studies and I would argue that there is no conclusive scientific evidence to support that any one diet or vitamin will "cure" cancer. They can be helpful and used adjunctively - intravenous supplementation during chemotherapy treatment, etc. Also, there are just as many studies to warm individuals from the potential harm associated with the consumption of neutraceuticals or vitamin supplementation. For instance, high levels of selenium and vitamin E associated with an increase risk of prostate cancer, high levels of beta carotene intake (the so called free radical scavenger) from supplementation linked to an increase risk of lung cancer, etc.

Cure is a strong word. Could it have been the food - maybe, could it have been placebo - maybe, could it have been, etc.

One thing I know for certain is that more case studies and research trials are needed before I'd be willing to link one diet, supplement, etc. to "curing" any form of cancer.


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## PerfectElement (May 22, 2013)

I go to the dentist every 3 or 4 years, last cavity I had was over 10 years ago, when I wasn't flossing consistently and had a poor diet.

Now I brush twice a day, floss almost daily and I've been on a high-carb plant-based diet for 9 years. 

I don't put any faith in the Weston A. Price Foundation, as it is a well known fact that it has strong ties to certain segments of the food industry.


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## Cal (Jun 17, 2009)

Synergy said:


> Back to the OP's original question...
> 
> I recall speaking with a few dental hygienists and I quote "if people took care of their teeth and overall oral health, we would be out of a job". Think about it, if you see a dental hygienists once per year, how much impact do you think that will have considering you are responsible for taking care of your teeth for the remaining 364 days? You could possibly undo all the good that the hygienist had done in as little as 2-3 days of not brushing properly, not flossing and eating too many sweets that get stuck in the crevices of your teeth and build up that hard plaque along the gum lines.
> 
> People generally don't take good care of their oral health so regular dental check ups and hygienist appointments are important - some more than others. But remember that correlation does not necessarily imply causation. And, I would argue that your daily dental care habits are way more important than the 40 min hygiene appointments that you get once or twice per year. Just my 2 cents worth...


Statistically speaking, people who floss live 2 years longer than those that don't. Longevity isn't about the flossing though. Generally people who floss also do other things in their lives to take better care of themselves and their health, thus causing them to love longer.

Also, there could be many factors/issues/symptoms to have a root canal recommended, several of those could also explain why the tooth hasn't bothered the OP in 5 years. I would not hazard a guess without a full understanding of the situation and history, however, nutrition and diet are definitely a factor in prevention. Not convinced on it entirely being the cure too.


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## Rusty O'Toole (Feb 1, 2012)

Synergy said:


> It's really more of a case of "malnutrition" hindering tissue healing. Even the Standard American Diet (SAD) won't delay the healing process (cuts, broken bones, etc.) to any significant measurable degree. SAD - generally refers to overfed and relatively undernourished. Be careful with the post hoc ergo proptor hoc fallacy. There are just as many individuals that go to these alternative health facilities and either end up having to eventually go the chemo / radiation route or end up dying than there are that go into spontaneous remission. Additionally, some may have gone into remission even without all the raw food, juice fasting, etc. There are numerous so called treatments claiming to cure cancer - from nutritional therapies, to prayer, to colonics, to acupuncture, etc. and numerous individuals claiming to be cured from these very therapies while at the same time there is no conclusive supportive scientific evidence for any one therapy.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


You are quite the straw man builder. Congratulations on putting things into my mouth that I never said, then proving (yourself) wrong.

Does Vitamin D help prevent cancer? Would you believe the Canadian Cancer Society?

http://www.cancer.ca/en/prevention-and-screening/live-well/vitamin-d/?region=on

How about Vitamin C? This from the National Cancer Institute of The National Institute of Health

http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/cam/highdosevitaminc/patient/page2

This on the benefit of Vitamin E from the American Cancer Society

http://www.cancer.org/treatment/tre...vemedicine/herbsvitaminsandminerals/vitamin-e

All this turned up in a 5 minute Google search.

I can also tell you that I started taking Vitamin C more than 30 years ago to promote healing, and it worked for me and has continued working ever since. This was the beginning of my interest in vitamins and nutrition, although I was very skeptical at the time. Back then, my doctor assured me that smoking was harmless but warned me against taking vitamins. 

I don't expect you to believe me but you should take the American Cancer Society, the National Institute of Health and the Canadian Cancer Society seriously or do you think they are a bunch of nuts too?


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## Synergy (Mar 18, 2013)

Rusty O'Toole said:


> You are quite the straw man builder. Congratulations on putting things into my mouth that I never said, then proving (yourself) wrong.


I've always wanted to build a straw bail house - eco friendly. All kidding aside, did I ever say that there's no research to support nutrition, diet, or supplementation in the "prevention" of cancer or chronic disease - NO. Prevention and cure are two completely different things. I simply stated that there was no research to support a "cure" at this time.

This was in response to your comment -


> and in some cases people have reversed or cured cancer by better diet and vitamins.


Did you actually read all the information within the links you provided me? I quote from your link:



> Most carefully controlled clinical studies show that vitamin E supplements do not have any overall health benefit or any reduced risk of heart disease or cancer, and may even lead to increased risk of heart failure. One such study has actually shown an increase in prostate cancer in men who took Vitamin E supplements. Available scientific evidence does not support claims that vitamin E significantly affects the growth of cancers that have already formed


If you read through the vitamin C information you will also ee that the results are mixed and that there's really no conclusive evidence:



> However, not all laboratory studies combining vitamin C with anticancer therapies have shown benefit. Combining dehydroascorbic acid, a particular form of vitamin C, with chemotherapy made it less effective in killing some kinds of cancer cells.





> However, other animal studies have shown that vitamin C interferes with the anticancer action of certain drugs, including the following:


I'm not against supplementation (as a form of insurance and alternative treatment for a variety of conditions) for those not wanting to go the traditional route, ie- tumeric (the active ingredient curcumin) for pain / inflammation, ginger root for nausea, a multi-vitaming as a form of insurance for certain segments of the population, pre-natal vitamins during pregnancy, vitamin D for those with little exposure to the sun, fish oils for the elderly since they have a hard time converted ALA to EPA & DHA, etc. However, I feel that there's no substitute for a healthy diet and you'll get a way better bang for your buck from whole foods (fresh fruits and vegetables of all colors, whole grains - including ancient (quinoa, amaranth, etc.), nuts and seeds of all sorts, legumes, fish, lean meats, etc.). I also tend to prefer whole food vitamin supplements versus their synthetic counterpart.

Anyway, there is a ton of conflicting research trials & studies out there. We could go back and forth on just about any topic. When critically evaluating the literature it is important to assess the summary of all the available evidence before coming up to a conclusion - often in the form of literature reviews, sytematic reviews and meta-analysis. The cochrane database is a good source: http://www.cochrane.org/cochrane-reviews

Here's a review from the database: Antioxidant supplements cannot be recommended for gastrointestinal cancer prevention

http://summaries.cochrane.org/CD004...mended-for-gastrointestinal-cancer-prevention

One must also remember that "Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence" - meaning in the absence of evidence we often don't know one way or the other. So there's still hope - more trials and research are needed and perhaps one day a simple food or supplement will turn out to be a great cure for some form of cancer.


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## Synergy (Mar 18, 2013)

It's also important to know that expert opinion or clinical experience (doctor recommendations) are quite low on the totem pole (lowest level of acceptable evidence) in the evidence based realm (EBM).

http://www.cebm.net/?o=1025


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## Brian Weatherdon CFP (Jan 18, 2011)

I've discussed this with my dentist over the years. Some need more frequent check-ups due to softer teeth or periodontal issues, etc. Sounds like you have the teeth that many would envy so presumably 12-month check-ups could suit you well ....but neither I nor a group can truly answer that for you.

*Suggesting *for the group, many people find dental expenses rise considerably as we age into our 50s, 60s, 70s etc. The great care you take in early years will certainly repay you with lower maintenance and surgical costs in middle- and later years. Dental inflation over the past 10-20 years has averaged 6% to 9% annually. Much higher inflation that CPI (consumer price index) due to the pricing of new procedures etc. So we willingly (?) pay 6% to 9% higher costs on average as the years continue, in order to address new dental and periodontal issues that arise as we age. Insuring will only be a partial solution due to maximum-insured amounts ....so lifelong dental health will prove very valuable over the long term, for our personal comfort as well as reducing foreseeable costs.


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## Ostracized (Feb 7, 2014)

I'm a dentist so I'll throw in my opinion. 

For children and teenagers I suggest checkups every 6 months. No less than every 9 months. Children are generally at high risk for cavities which tend to grow very fast.

For adults it really varies. Depending on your past dental history, you oral hygiene and diet, and your general health, you may need cleanings as often as every 3 months or as little as every 9 months. Check-ups at least once per year. Gum disease is a major cause of tooth loss in people who neglect dental care, and decay is also an issue.

Cost-wise, an ounce of prevention is equal to a pound of cure.

If you are on a tight budget and without insurance, discuss with your dentist about a preventive regime that will be sufficient without breaking the bank.


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## NorthKC (Apr 1, 2013)

^Thank you!!

I should add that if there's any issues with your health, early signs may be found in your teeth. Saved my mother's life!

When I was without insurance for a couple of years, the dentist worked out a plan with me. Minimum payments every month and freedom to pay off in full whenever I'm able. Most dentists would rather see you take care of your teeth than care too much about money.


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## Tightwad (Mar 28, 2014)

Park said:


> How often do I need to see a dentist? A dental hygienist told me that I needed a checkup yearly. However, the standard seems to be every 6 months.


They like to recommend frequent visits, especially if they know you have a dental plan.

Ottawa = government employees = dental plan = great place to be a dentist.


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## getliquid (Mar 2, 2014)

Tightwad said:


> They like to recommend frequent visits, especially if they know you have a dental plan.
> 
> Ottawa = government employees = dental plan = great place to be a dentist.


I work for the government and our plan pays for a "checkup" every 9 month, yet my dentist still wants me to come in every 6 lol, good to be a dentist in Ottawa alright.


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