To think that adults are supposed to go to the dentist too?

[YourTealBalonz]

It feels like so many people act like the dentist is optional once you hit adulthood, only going when something hurts or skipping years altogether. But surely we’re supposed to still be going regularly?

Isn’t part of being a functioning adult keeping up with this stuff - like check-ups, cleaning, prevention, etc?

Or AIBU and it’s fine to just… not?

I agree with that tbh, dh and the dc never need anything doing besides counting teeth checking gums but we don’t want to lose our NHS dentist so we will attend 6 monthly, cough up and consider ourselves lucky than be get seen.
Sil missed 2 appointments (called to cancel but was within the 24 hours) and has been struck off, this was 3 years ago and she’s not been able to find a close enough dentist to take her on.

Unfortunately there are not many NHS dentists that take on new patients.
But also the cost is expensive. DD went for an hygienist appointment last week and it cost
over £100. Check up was £70. She and her family are considering going private.
The difference in NHS and private dentist is not that much anymore.

I have a private dentist. This costs £24 per month. With that I get
2 check ups per year
2 hygiene appointments per year.
Upto 2 fillings per year with out an increase in cost.
I had no choice in going private as I was involved with cancer treatment and need a dentist.

People can’t afford it and/or access care. Presumably you know that though.

Well, yes, in theory you should. have at the very least a yearly check-up and 2 hygienist appointments a year, if you want to keep it to a strict minimum

but some people can't afford it

and many people have other priorities unfortunately.

I would be delighted and in ideal world, we SHOULD have GP appointments.

The number of people who suffer from treatable problems, or let them get so much worst because they don't (or can't..) see a GP.

Many private package do offer you a yearly check-up, for good reason (their interest, but yours too!)

Im lucky to have found an NHS dentist im going affter xmas.
I dont like going but i have to.
My sister found an NHS dentist in november by chance, not easy to get one now but when you do you hang on to it.

as others have said. When you think about it you wouldn't go to your GP every 6 months just for a check up, and surely most people without good eye sight don't go to an opticians regularly just to confirm they can still see either. Why are dentists the exception?

The only reason I go every year is so I don't get chucked off my NHS dentist list!

I go regularly. I don't actually know anyone who doesn't though.

YANBU, but I’m really lucky to have an NHS dentist & healthy teeth that so far only need six-monthly hygienist visits & checkups, which I can afford.

Most people do have yearly or fairly regular optician appointments, even with good eyesight?

Hygienist appointments are a need

Check-up are a way to fix problems quickly instead of waiting for them to be too bad to be fixed!

I love going to the dentist! The only place I get a glowing report on my work lol.

I think every 6 months check up is unnecessarily frequent if you have few problems/take good care of your teeth to be honest. I think once a year is fine. I think I have to go every 6 months though of I lose my place (at a private dentist). Dentistry is expensive, there's basically no nhs dentist availability where I live and many people just can't afford private or nhs.

What?! 😱😱

The problem is similar to ireland, as a nation, a lot of us we don't have nice teeth.

Braces are unaffordable to most families. DD's cost nearly 7000 as she required sedation for a lot of the work.
My parents couldn't afford braces, my sister got them as she likes e a rabbit.
I visit the dentist regularly now but my teeth are in shit due to an eating disorder and neglecting them as a child. I have spent a fortune, crawling my way to a healthy mouth. I had implants in the back but can't afford the front 6 for another while.
Dental work on the hse/NHS is limited and hard to find a dentist.

I go every 6 months and 4 times to hygienist. Pay £28 a month. Worth every penny

The younger generation are more on, excluding those who have them filed down and covered by ridiculous plastic looking turkey teeth.

I'd love to see a dentist but I can't find one, NHS or private. The nearest private dentist accepting new patients is a 7 hour round trip away.

I am a little bit sceptical of the recommendation that everyone needs to visit the dentist 6-monthly. I haven’t been in several years (could afford to but just haven’t bothered) and I haven’t had any problems. You don’t go to the GP “just because” - it would either be for a medical reason or for a specific screening program at a fairly drawn out interval - so I do wonder where the suggestion to see the dentist so frequently has come from. I’m somewhat cynical about it tbh.

I don't think most people need to go every 6 months.
But just because you've not had trouble doesn't necessarily mean there's nothing wrong. I thought mine were ok after not having been for years, had no pain etc. But I went for a check up and had a couple that needed filling.
Best to catch decay early before needing root canal etc.

After many years of not having one, I finally got registered with an NHS dentist. They do fuck all. I am in and out within 10 minutes each time. I have issues with a few teeth, but they just x-ray and say there are no cavities, so nothing gets done. I am convinced it is because I don't pay at all.

Surely you understand that some people are scared or/ and can't afford it.

The NHS , for many years, has not recommended 6 month check ups for everyone , checks can range from every 3 months to two years , according to risk .

However the recommendations are for a check up every year , by many authorities, because part of a check up is checking for oral cancer. Rates of oral cancer, particularly amongst younger people , are rocketing and more people die every year from oral cancer than cervical and prostate cancer combined.

Also many problems like gum disease and early decay have no symptoms , until they become a big problem, and can only be detected by a dental examination and , possibly, x rays .

However it’s not how often you see the dentist that determines your oral health but what you do inbetween ie what you eat and drink, if you smoke, have diabetes and how well and effectively you clean.

Agree. It’s easier and cheaper to maintain regularly than to fix teeth. I go every 6 months and usually it’s a quick check up and clean. Only once I had a 4 year gap between appointments because life happens and paid ‘000s to fix whatever developed.

No, I go when I need to. It’s about every 5 years. And I always need about two fillings so I get them done.

I don’t have the money to go constantly, I’m paying for private as it’s more expensive for nhs where I live as you have to go every 6 months or you get struck off.

… you’re acting like it should be prescribed in law. Most adults can make their own decisions about their health.

I’ve never had a cavity in 30 years. I go to the dentist every 2 years, every time they say my teeth are perfect and I leave. Why would I go more often when I don’t need to?