Question:
I have a question about dental teeth cleaning. If you brush your teeth twice a
day and floss often enough and you don't see anything wrong with your teeth,
then is it really necessary to have your teeth cleaned by the dentist twice a
year?
The reason I'm asking is because I don't have any dental insurance and haven't
had my teeth cleaned by the dentist in years, though I used to have it done
twice a year when I had insurance. So I'm wondering if it's worth it to spend
40 to 60 dollars to do it. I asked someone in the dental field and she said it
was necessary, but I'm not sure if they say that because it's just some scheme
by the dental industry to get customers in on a regular basis who otherwise
wouldn't come at all.
Answer:
Really depends on your heredity and what you eat. But, I wouldn't let it go
much longer than a year or so. The consequences are much more expensive and
painful.
I went for too many years without cleaning, and have so many gum problems
now. I totally regret not going at this point. The dentist has tools which
can remove the plaque below the gum line that flossing and brushing cannot
get to easily. I have had some nasty gum work done, both periodontal (which
they actually cut your gums away - I would avoid this at all costs!!), but
very deep scraping which has improved the health of my mouth. Gum infections
can affect your overall general health, and having a healthy mouth will help
prevent problems down the line by avoiding the infections caused by the
bacteria in your mouth. My dentist is now telling me to brush twice a day,
3-5 minutes each time, with baking soda. He says this will actually stop the
plaque from forming so quickly, and kill the bacteria that starts the gum
disease. He tells me this is not a popular recommendation because it is not
a money making solution for anyone.He was referring to a study done by
dentists and physicians on elderly people who still have their teeth, and
what their home care was over the years for their teeth. They either used
baking soda or salt to cleanse their teeth and gums. Sorry, I don't have the
actual reference. I have to get cleanings *every* 3 months now, but he says
if I stick to this baking soda regime, I will eventually get back to the
twice a year routine. It tastes pretty bad, but it is better than seeing his
utensils in my mouth every 3 months :-) I'm sticking with it.
Also you probably can't inspect what is going on below the gumline as
well as the dentist. Most adult dental problems are a result of gum
disease, I believe.
Go on in and see how things are going. If there's no plaque/tartar/calculus
buildup below the gumline, then maybe you can get by with less frequent
visits.
For basic illustration of plaque, tartar, and calculus see
http://www.dentalcare.com/soap/patient/elite10.htm
Personally, I've had my teeth cleaned 2 times in my 33 years. The first was when I
was a kid, the last time when I was 21. The dental assistant said I had the
healthiest set of teeth she had ever seen & found only a minute amount of plaque
behind my bottom teeth. The dentist took a look & said "great teeth" & that was it.
A total waste of money, IMHO. I got braces shortly there after, & now I think I
have a great set of teeth. :)
I only brush once a day, but I do drink a lot of water...almost a gallon a day. I
think this helps the most...rinsing away any food particles & giving the bacteria
less time to do their dirty work. Genetics & general health have a lot to do with
it, so YMMV. The
rest of my family has loosey teeth, BTW. Lots of fillings, caps, etc. Some are/were
smokers, some are not & I never have.
My grandmother used to use nothing but baking soda with a little bit of
salt with it, that's what her father (a dentist) used to use.
Well, she went ballistic when she got her first cavity, at 93!!!
She lived to be 100 and didn't get another cavity, so there must be
something to that baking soda stuff.
