How often do you go to the dentist?

[Brutha]

As many people in this forum don't hold western medicine in a high esteem I would be interested in the frequency that people go to the dentist.

[Lynn 007]

I go to the dentist twice a year for a cleaning. I always think my teeth are an overall indicator of my health. If anything is wrong with my teeth it is a sign to me, something is wrong on the inside.

[Ree]

I go to the dentist three times a year for a cleaning, after a close call with gum disease and many visits to the periodontist. (Ouch!) I don't want to go there again.

[Kaspian]

The last dentist I saw is a clean-teeth fanatic. On my first visit, he showed me several studies from Sweden. The participants who really got their teeth clean didn't get gum disease and almost never got cavities. He said that brushing and flossing alone get about 50% of the plaque off our teeth. For the rest, he recommended a triangle-shaped toothpick-like tool. (Stim-u-dent is one brand name.)

Before he found the studies from Sweden, he came up with Seven Steps to Great Dental Health. He adamantly insisted that we should all go through these once a day, and mentioned that people that follow his instructions don't need to see a dentist or get professional cleanings as often.

After several months of doing the seven steps daily, my husband visited another dentist. Her comment was, "If everyone had teeth as clean as yours, we'd all go out of business."

Seven Steps to Great Dental Health - recommended by Martin Nigrelle, DDS:
1 - Lather up with toothpaste.
2 - Insert a moist Stim-u-dent between teeth; move it in and out, scraping the sides between your teeth; and then trace along the edges of the gum line.
3 - Brush thoroughly.
4 - Floss, "polishing" the teeth with a shoe-shine motion.
5 - Rinse.
6 - Brush again, focusing on the tongue side. (The Swedes use a shorter triangle-shaped toothpick on the inside. Since those are hard to get in the US, my dentist recommends a thorough brushing on the inside instead.)
7 - Rinse again.

[Love]

I've no insurance now, so how often I get to the dentist will be dictated by my finances. I would like to go twice a year.

[RT Wolf]

Interesting coincidence. I went to the dentist threeish days ago for the first time in somin like three-four years. I didn't really think I had good dental hygiene habits but she said my teeth were in great shape. No cavities and little plaque and stuff. Wisdom teeth coming in well, too.

[Sam988]

I got to the dentist on average once a year to make some cleaning and to check how are my teeth going.

[Trustme]

I go every 6 months. It's a mind game for me and I know that if I don't schedule the next appointment while I am still there I might end up not going until something hurts

[Faith]

Sorry, Brutha, I voted incorrectly in the poll. I said 2 (meaning I go twice a year), but after it was too late, I realized that I should have said 7 or 8 times cause you were asking, "in the last 4 years."

Brutha: I have moved one vote from 2 times to 8 times, so everything is alright now.

It is important to me to keep my teeth healthy. I have always been told by dentists that I have great teeth, but I was starting to get bad results at the dentist. Then I started using a Waterpik Dental Water Jet. The improvement to the health of my teeth was very, very noticeable after just a few months use.

I had missed one of my six month's checkups, and was really dreading going back, because the measurements they do were in the 4 to 6 range, and the hygienist was scolding me about flossing, etc. A few months before my next appointment, I started using the Waterpik, and my measurements were in the 2-3 range and the hygienist commented that I didn't have much plaque.

Faith

[Shak]

This is a little scary but I hadn't once stepped into a dentist's office for a little over 19 years. Well, I suppose I did when I was a child, but since we don't really have health insurance, and I was always a bit lazy, I never did get around to going to a dentist and having my teeth checked out.

Then, about a year ago, I decided that the next time I go to India, I'll get all of my dental work done for a fraction of the cost. So in May I decided to take that trip, meet relatives, do some shopping, and most importantly get the dental care my teeth deserved but I couldn't afford while in the states.

I think now that the bulk of the work is done, I can start going to the dentist on a regular basis here -- and maybe see how much braces may cost me.

[Matthew Shea]

I go twice a year. After watching my dad lose most of his teeth, I want to catch any problems early and nip them in the bud. I have my fair share of cavities, but I've been a lot better about brushing lately. Next I have to work on flossing properly, which has been a big stumbling block for some reason.