How Often Should You Go to the Dentist for Teeth Cleaning?

How many times a year do you need professional teeth cleaning? Like many aspects of dental care, your cleaning schedule should be unique to you.

There are quite a few factors at work, but the major ones are age and overall oral health. Adults with great oral health and hygiene typically need to see the dentist for a professional cleaning once or twice a year. In the rest of this article, we will look at some other cases that might need more frequent cleanings.

If you'd just like schedule your next teeth cleaning in Ellicott City, please call us at 410-465-3021. We're currently taking new patients and we would be delighted to get you an appointment as soon as possible.

Teeth Cleaning Schedules for Children

Children should generally come to the dentist when they are around one year old or when teeth start to emerge. There might not be a lot of teeth to clean at this point, but it will let your dentist check your child's progress and talk about early childhood dental hygiene with you.

After the first appointment, kids usually come in for cleanings every six months to a year — similar to healthy adults. Your dentist might also recommend some care from specialists or a more frequent schedule depending on your case.

Cleaning for Patients With Gum Disease

Gum disease is a common condition that often benefits from more frequent dentist appointments. It's a progressive infection characterized by bad breath, receding gums, bleeding, pain, loose teeth, or swelling.

Patients with gum disease need a dental appointment schedule that corresponds to the severity of their condition. For example, someone with an early stage of gingivitis might have a follow-up appointment every two months and then a return to a twice-a-year schedule once the condition stabilizes.

In general, dentists typically like to keep a closer eye on patients with a history of gum disease. Most will suggest at least two appointments per year.

Cleaning for Prosthetic Teeth (Crowns, Implants, and Bridges)

People who have prosthetic teeth also typically need to see the dentist at least twice a year. Additionally, you should expect to have more frequent appointments in the months following your implant.

While these post-surgery appointments are not necessarily cleanings, they will involve your dentist and hygienist taking stock of your general oral health, just like they do during a cleaning. After this initial period of more frequent care, most people go back to a schedule of professional cleanings once or twice a year.

Why Cleanings Are Important

We mentioned this briefly, but dental cleanings are more than a good, professional scrub. They're milestones in your oral health and they add valuable data to your medical record. That data helps us track your oral wellness over time with the goal of keeping you as healthy as possible. To schedule an appointment, please call Ellicott City Dentistry at 410-465-3021 today.