Dental hygiene, is it routine in your life?

[melikalikimaka]

Just had an extraction this morning [falling apart, I am!} and my fantastic dentist said that a lot of people don't always have a check every year.
On customer hadn't had a check up for 7 years!
I find that incredible because I imagine a scale and polish would be necessary in one year.

Most of my work friends say they can't afford to go and live on pain killers! It's just cost me £41 to get rid of a nasty cracked tooth. I have always believed in at least once a year check ups, AIBU?

Can I just say as a warning please see your dentist every 6 months as I have just been a month ago for my check-up and after having an x-ray the dentist has spotted a tumour in my jaw (hopefully benign) but who knows? You can't mess around with your health

I'm petrified by the dentist, I haven't been in a couple of years, I know I should go but I haven't plucked up the courage yet

I brush twice a day and floss tho and don't have any pain so I do try my best to look after my teeth tho

I think it's every 6 months for the kids & once a year for me.

I always floss every night as well.

Mind you, not everyone can get an NHS dentist & private can be so expensive.

As important as oral hygiene is, money can sometimes play a huge factor in not going to the dentist regularly.

I go to the dentist every 6 mths, and the hygienist. I use an ultrasonic toothbrush which has improved the health and toughness of my gums beyond belief, and also TePe interdental brushes. I've been seeing the same dentist for the past 21 years, as I trust him.

Snowiebear is right about the significant risk of coronary disease as a result of neglected gums. There is some evidence to suggest that there is a hereditary link with those who have good teeth and gums, and those who don't.

i'm a bit obsessive - we brush and rinse twice a day and i always flos as well

check ups every 6mths and scale and polish every 6mths for me

i am 41 with no filings so somethings working

sadly my middle child has weak teeth prone to errosion

I try, I am to brush or at least rinse with mouthwash everyday, sadly that doesn't normally happen as I have no routines anymore it's a baby led life and he's very clingy.

I'm 32 and been to the dentist once and that was 4 years ago, to both our surprise nothing needed doing and they just gave em a quick clean.

I'd probably be more inclined to take it seriously when I end up getting tooth ache or an abscess, bleeding gums or something.

I all ways brush before I go out thats the only thing I've stuck to as a routine.

We have denplan insurance (had to when our lovely NHS dentist went private) but it only costs £12 a month each and we get two check ups and two hygeinist appt a year plus any filliings etc for that so I don't think it's bad. I am TERRIFIED of dentists and if I ever have work done - very rare thankfully - I have sedation which costs £40 but worth every penny to me, I then have my hygeinist work done when I am still "under". Otherwise the hygeinist only uses hand tools on me. I am such a wimp.

YANBU I brush & floss twice a day and see my (VERY dishy it has to be said ) dentist every 6 months.

I've just had a check up and had my first scale ( no polish) in 5 years and even then it was only on 2 back teeth - so it must vary from person to person.

I go twice a year and floss and brush every day. Luckily we have an NHS dentist - had to go privately for a year and was SO shocked at the prices - £70 for a check up instead of £16 NHS!

Gosh, that is expensive, glad I am NHS!

i pay £27/month for denplan
that bloody makes sure that i see the hygienist every 4 months and the dentist twice a year.

tis the only way, otherwise i too would put off those check ups and once you start to neglect them the cost & pain combined is too much!

i am very thorough about dental hygiene, as in i brush at least twice a day, floss and use mouthwash, and i am very strict with the dc about brushing teeth as well, i do it for them twice a day as they are not yet capable of doing it themselves.

HOWEVER, i am SHIT scared of the dentist due to bad childhood experiences of going to the dentist, and have not been for over 5 years i do need to get a grip as i dont want to pass my fears on to my dc.

My dentist said I probably didn't need to come back for a couple of years unless I had any problems. I think I left it about 7! Just got to the age now where the fillings i had as a teenager have started to crumble and have had 2 replaced recently, plus a chipped tooth repaired,(I did have some pain and I am now going every 6 months to set a good example if nothing else) but no new cavities for 25 years! V lucky I know. Lots of people are not even registered with a dentist, so 7 years is nothing!

Dentist said today, that the government don't push dental checks because they don't want people to cost them money.
Every time we use the NHS dentist, they pay them so much each per check up or treatment.
Must correct my post, I paid £45.60 for extraction.

I think this generation are losing the habit because of this.