How Often Should You Get Your Teeth Cleaned?

So many of you with teeth are blissfully unaware of their presence. They do the job of chewing your food and making selfies look oh so fab. It’s quite easy to forget that they need special attention. When used correctly, the BURST brush does an amazing job of removing plaque and stains, but we do strongly encourage professional cleanings. Let’s talk more about how often you should get your teeth cleaned.

Factors To Consider

According to our expert crew here at BURST, some things to consider for a personal tooth cleaning schedule are:

• Your age
• Genetics (family history)
• Habits
• Diet
• Medical Conditions
• Prescription Medications
• History of cavities
• History of bleeding gums/ gingivitis
• Bone loss surrounding your teeth
• Amount of tartar build up in between dental visits

Studies show almost half of adults over 30 have inflammatory gum disease and that percentage increases with age. But how do you really know if your teeth and gums are healthy unless you go in for routine exams? THAT is exactly why we recommend some professional advice. Now according to the American Dental Association, you should “See a dentist regularly for
prevention and treatment of oral disease.”

WAIT A MINUTE, That’s not TWICE a YEAR!

Now isn’t that interesting. I’m sure many of you including dental professionals are going to say everyone should get their teeth cleaned at least twice a year period. And of course that’s what insurance will generally pay for. BUT research like the 2013 study published in the Journal of Dental Research leads us to the conclusion that some folks with great home care habits, a healthy diet, low risk factors and no active disease can stay quite healthy with an annual visit to their dental team for a checkup and routine cleaning. On the other hand, many of you will benefit greatly from a dental cleaning four times per year.

A Custom Plan for All of Your Smiles

The real goal is to see your hygienist enough to stay ahead of decay and disease. You want to keep your teeth forever right? Each visit with them should consist of a careful assessment of the factors listed above and making a plan that is customized to your specific needs over time. The frequency of your visits and the type of cleaning you will get should also be suited to your individual needs. In medicine, there should be no cookie cutter rules and since your mouth is connected to the rest of your body, the same should be true in dentistry.

In summary, IT DEPENDS!

Keep smiling, you’re still looking good 😉