How Often Should You Get a Dental Cleaning?
Twice a year is the familiar answer, but the honest one depends on your gums, your habits and your history.
The standard six months
For most healthy adults, a cleaning and exam every six months keeps plaque and tartar under control before they cause damage. The interval exists because that is roughly how long it takes for hardened deposits to build to a level home care cannot manage.
When three or four months is better
If you have been treated for gum disease, smoke, have diabetes, are pregnant, or tend to build tartar quickly, a shorter interval is genuinely protective. Your gums simply do not get the chance to slide backward.
What happens if you wait
Tartar hardens, gums inflame, and small cavities become large ones. The cost difference between a routine cleaning and the treatment that follows a few skipped years is dramatic.
Ask us what fits you
At your next visit we will chart your gum pockets and tell you plainly which interval your mouth needs. It is not a sales pitch, it is a measurement.
Written by the team at Uptown Dentistry, led by Dr. Nicki Tajalli, DDS, in Uptown Houston. This article is general information, not a substitute for an exam.