General guidelines state that patients should schedule an appointment for professional dental cleaning every six months. While this is ideal for most people, some will need to come every three months and others will only need to come every nine or 12 months. In most cases, dental insurance plans cover professional dental cleanings every 6 months. The reality is that most patients need to clean their teeth every three months.
If you have a chronic condition, such as diabetes, for example, more frequent cleanings can lower your risk of gum disease. Never let your insurance dictate what treatment you need. Most private health insurance plans cover a dental checkup and clean once every six months. However, there are no hard or quick tests, especially if you're a healthy person who's less likely to get tooth decay or gum disease.
Know how often routine dental cleaning is necessary because this helps dental patients understand how to experience good oral health. Professional dental cleanings are part of preventive dentistry, which is a type of dentistry that focuses on helping patients avoid any problems related to dentistry in the first place. When someone is diagnosed with a dental problem, they need dental treatment. According to Healthline, preventive dentistry is the practice of caring for your teeth to keep them healthy, as this helps prevent tooth decay, gum disease, enamel wear, etc.
Cleaning your teeth every six months gives the dental team the opportunity to examine your oral health. They will use a mirror to evaluate the teeth and gums. The hygienist will look for signs of gingivitis, such as inflammation, bleeding, and tenderness. A dental cleaning removes bacteria that cause plaque, but it begins to recolonize in the mouth within 24 to 48 hours.
Your dental professional uses a rotating head with a toothpaste to brighten your teeth until they are perfectly clean. In general, your dentist should be able to advise you if you would benefit from professional dental cleaning more than twice a year. The plaque maturation cycle plays an important role in why patients need to have a professional dental cleaning every three months. You should ask your dentist how often they recommend that you clean your teeth based on your current oral health, family history, and risk factors for tooth decay and gum disease.
Even if you brush your teeth twice a day and floss every day, you won't be able to clean all the plaque in your mouth. If you have a professional dental cleaning twice a year, you are less likely to experience a heavy buildup of plaque and tartar that could seriously affect your oral health. However, some people are at higher risk for tooth decay or gum disease, and this group needs to clean their teeth more often. Two dental cleanings a year provided significant benefits to people with one or more of the three risk factors, while people with two or three of the risk factors may need more than two cleanings a year.
While most dental patients will need to make two different dental cleaning appointments per year, other dental patients will need to undergo routine dental cleanings less or more frequently. A professional dental cleaning removes all plaque (the soft, sticky film that builds up on your teeth) and calculus (hardened plaque on your teeth).
