fbpx

How Often Should I Visit the Dentist to Have My Teeth Cleaned?

  • Home
  • /
  • Blog
  • /
  • How Often Should I Visit the Dentist to Have My Teeth Cleaned?

man sitting on a chair

The “every 6 months” rule about visiting your dentist in Red Deer for a check-up, has been ingrained into our minds with as much importance as the rule about brushing your teeth twice a day. However, the frequency at which someone needs their teeth cleaned cannot be generalized to every 6 months. How often should someone see their dentist depends on factors such as someone’s age, their personal dental condition, and their lifestyle, which can make some people more prone to requiring more dental visits as a result. The period between dental visits should be specified by your Red Deer dentist themselves.

Where did the “6-month rule” come from?

Most of us are under the impression that the rule of visiting your dentist every 6 months came from the same credible medical background of dentists themselves. However, this isn’t exactly true. In fact, it was created by the advertising department of Pepsodent, a manufacturer of dental cleaning products. This was way back when toothpaste was not even invented. Instead, Pepsodent had a powder with good dental benefits which can be soaked with water to make a paste. At the time, it became widely popular among people as a means to clean their teeth.

Using this boost of popularity to their advantage, the advertising department of Pepsodent decided to add the message “visit your dentist twice a year” in order to gain favor from the dentists at the time. Many decades later, it is quite amusing how this statement is accepted and used by people from all over the world.

Why Should You Visit Your Dentist to Clean Your Teeth?

The simple answer to this question is, it is not possible to give your teeth and gums a thorough cleaning through simply brushing and flossing. Most people brush their teeth for less than 2 minutes and don’t realize this is not enough. Even at night, most people do not pay the required attention to clean their mouths well. This is why it is important to see a dentist and get your teeth properly cleaned regularly.

A dentist is trained and skilled at using specific products and tools to fully clean any tartar buildup, and plaque and detect symptoms that lead to severe problems such as gum disease. Getting teeth cleaned professionally also has aesthetic benefits such as removing stains and cleaning the spaces between the teeth. If you regularly use tobacco products and consume acidic foods and drinks that discolor your teeth, it is recommended to get your teeth cleaned at least once every few months.

When looking at more severe situations, the cleanliness of the mouth is one of the best ways to reduce the risk of oral cancer. When visiting your dentist to get your teeth cleaned, it is also an opportunity to get a dental checkup and see if there are any signs of oral cancer, gum disease or any other issues which can be treated, if diagnosed early on. Studies suggest that bad oral hygiene has a connection to causing cardiovascular complications as well. Thorough teeth cleaning, therefore, will help not only your dental health but also your heart.

How Often Should You Get Your Teeth Cleaned?

Imagine maintaining a car. How often do you go to get it checked? How often would a technician recommend taking your car to be serviced? This largely depends on the type of car, how old it is, and how it is used. This analogy can be applied to caring for your teeth as well. Your oral health is directly connected to your overall health, which is why taking preventive measures to keep your teeth healthy and safe is important.

If you don’t practice good oral hygiene habits and avoid seeing your dentist regularly, your teeth will be negatively affected as a result. A decayed tooth needs to be treated or extracted, which can cause pain and discomfort as well as other oral health complications. Therefore, the best measure is to visit your dentist and receive an evaluation of your oral health and recommendations on how to maintain good oral care. If you do not have any time-sensitive oral issues, your dentist will give you a reasonable time frame to visit again for a check-up.

When you treat dental issues early on, most of them can be fully healed without having to spend too much money or physical effort. Therefore, if you have not had your teeth whitening Red Deer in a while making it a priority to see your dentist as soon as possible, and getting their recommendation is imperative to maintaining good oral hygiene each and every year.

Request an Appointment with Our Red Deer Dental Office