The Holistic Approach to Frequency

Dental cleanings are definitely absolutely necessary, but you have to keep in mind I’m a holistic dentist. So when you come in as a patient, I tailor it to what your needs are because holism and holistic dentistry is the realizing that the total body and the mouth is connected totally to the body and the body is connected totally to the mouth. And so those things need to mesh and work well together.

This connection between oral and systemic health is well-documented. Research shows that oral health is integral to general health, with the mouth acting as a mirror to the body, revealing signs of underlying health issues. The oral-systemic connection links conditions like periodontal disease to cardiovascular health, diabetes, and other systemic diseases.

Prevention Is the Key

And so another holistic view which I’m very strongly into is prevention. Prevention is the key. We want to prevent decay. We don’t want people to go down an avenue where they have a cavity or need a root canal. We want to avoid root canals. We want to avoid crowns. We want to avoid cavities of any kind.

When you ask how often should I come and see a dentist, it’s based on how much buildup you get, how much sweets you’re eating, and how much your body is damaged by your diabetes or your heart disease or your systemic problems that you’re carrying with you. So I have to tailor that to every single patient.

The research backs up this individualized approach. Studies show that the evidence for universal six-month dental visits is surprisingly sparse, with dental professionals and insurance providers now encouraged to make individually tailored, risk-based recommendations rather than fixed frequencies.

General Guidelines

I can tell you as a general discussion, we like patients to come in two to three times a year for an exam, which I do. I screen you for oral cancer. I screen you for infection around your teeth that leads to bone loss. I screen you for cavities that cause decay and loss of structure of your teeth. Those are things most patients don’t feel.

We call it the silent disease. And so we are trained to find those things. And if I can’t get my eyes on you, I can’t diagnose those things.

The Exception to the Rule

I have one patient, two patients I’m going to say, that come in for a cleaning once a year. And the only damage that I think happens to them is that they don’t get that exam. I’m trying to talk to them and say, “I know you don’t get very many cavities and you don’t get that much buildup and you have great oral hygiene. I’m fine with you doing one cleaning a year, but I’d love to do an exam at least twice a year because I think I can prevent and stop and grab something before it gets snowballing and stop it before you need to spend money and anxiety and pain in that area.”

What Happens During Your Visit

So that’s what is very important about a cleaning is that we remove the deposits on your teeth, the buildup, the food, the bacteria, the plaque that needs to come off to prevent cavities. But also you’re paying an expert to look at your teeth and prevent things from happening before you get down the road.

When I examine you, I’m looking for problems you can’t see or feel yet. I’m checking the health of your gums, looking for early signs of gum disease. I’m examining the bone structure around your teeth through x-rays when needed. I’m screening for oral cancer—something that can be life-threatening if caught late but highly treatable if caught early. I’m identifying cavities when they’re tiny, before they become painful emergencies.

Early detection through oral cancer screenings is critical. According to the Oral Cancer Foundation, early-stage oral cancers have an 80 to 90 percent survival rate, reinforcing the life-saving potential of regular dental screenings where dentists can detect precancerous or cancerous lesions early.

The Real Value

The cleaning is important, yes. But the examination—that’s where the real prevention happens. That’s where we catch small problems before they become big, expensive, painful ones. That’s where we can save you from needing that root canal or crown by catching decay early when it just needs a small filling.

So how often should you come? For most people, two to three times a year. But the real answer is: as often as your individual mouth and body need, which is something we determine together based on your unique situation.