Should the every six months rule apply to everyone?
Think about how often you get your car serviced. Most modern cars work it out for you, based on how the car is actually driven and the conditions it endures. Nobody applies one fixed interval to every vehicle regardless of use.
So why is every patient told to see the dentist every six months, regardless of whether their gums are healthy, how quickly they build up tartar, or how well they brush and floss?
Where the six-month rule came from
The interval has its origins in mid-century advertising rather than in evidence. A popular American radio and television show of the 1950s was sponsored by a toothpowder brand, and its advertising encouraged listeners to brush twice daily and to see their dentist twice a year. At the time, most people only visited a dentist when they were in pain or needed an extraction. The campaign was successful, the phrase stuck, and it has been repeated ever since.
What actually determines the right interval
Six months is a reasonable default, and for many people it is about right. But the sensible interval depends on what is happening in your mouth:
- How quickly you build up plaque and tartar
- Whether you have gum disease now, or have had it before
- Whether you smoke
- Your diet, particularly sugar and acidic drinks
- Medical conditions such as diabetes that affect gum health
- How thorough your brushing and flossing genuinely is
Someone with healthy gums and excellent home care may safely go longer than six months. Someone with active gum disease may need to be seen every three or four months. The point is that the interval should follow from an examination of your mouth, not from a slogan.
Ask your dentist what they actually recommend for you, and why. You should get a specific answer.