Is it really necessary to get teeth cleanings and dental checkups?
I think it really depends on where you are and what a dentist’s checkup involves in your region. (And if it varies, then it depends what dentist you go to.) For the first 20 years of my life, I went to the dentist for an annual “checkup” which involved a quick look in my mouth, and a brush with an electric toothbrush. I never needed a filling or any other work (besides removal of some baby teeth that didn’t have second teeth underneath). Every year for 5 minutes work, they charged my parents, and later me, $100. Obviously this came to seem like unnecessary expense. For the next four years, I continued to go once a year, but to a different dentist, who only charged $50, and did an x-ray as well as the 5-minute clean. At least the x-ray reassured me that there weren’t any lurking cavities, but it still seemed like this whole process might be unnecessary. For the next six years I didn’t go at all. I finally went back recently (now in a different country), and oh my god I got the world’s m
I stopped going to the dentist for a few years in my mid-twenties because I was poor and uninsured. Like you, I noticed that my teeth seemed to be doing fine and didn’t hurt. So then I got a job that included dental insurance, but didn’t go to the dentist for another ten years, since I had fallen out of the habit, and my teeth seemed to be doing fine and didn’t hurt, so the dental cleaning/checkup seemed unnecessary. Until one day I chipped a tooth. Or so I thought, from the way it felt when I ran my tongue over it. Okay, I thought, I’d better bite the bullet (metaphorically) and go see a dentist. Once I saw the X-rays, it was obvious the tooth was more “broken” than “chippped.” About a third of it was missing. The dentist was astonished that I hadn’t felt any pain until it actually broke, but I hadn’t. So over the course of several visits—at a total cost greater than what my dental insurance would cover in one year, I should note—the dentist fixed that, plus several other defects he f
I didn’t go to the dentist or get my teeth cleaned for 8 years, due to dental phobia. When I finally worked myself up to going, I didn’t really have any tooth pain. I did, however, have the need for 11 fillings, 2 partial crowns, and one full crown. Most of which was done in the space of a month. It was a tough month. One of the teeth that was partially crowned later died, which was painful, and required a root canal. That was 10 years ago, and since then I have compulsively visited the dentist every 6 months for a cleaning, and have required very few new fillings.
I’m a layman as far as dental science goes, but I believe there has been some research that correlates general dental health with other physical health, especially heart disease. I have also been told (and again, just a layman speaking) that there are two different kinds of plaque; a “soft” plaque that is easily removed by brushing and a “hard” plaque that essentially needs to be cracked off with stronger tools, i.e. dentists’ picks and pneumatic brushes. And like other people have said, preventive care is generally much, much cheaper than reactive care. A small hole in a tooth is much easier to fix than a big hole and a root canal.
Not sure if this is funded by ADA or equivalent marketing vehicle for dentistry, but may help give you some idea for why regular checkups are helpful: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/dental/DE00001 Endocarditis – Gum disease and dental procedures that cut your gums may allow bacteria to enter your bloodstream. If you have a weak immune system or a damaged heart valve, this can cause infection in other parts of the body — such as an infection of the inner lining of the heart (endocarditis). Cardiovascular disease – Some research suggests that heart disease, clogged arteries and stroke may be linked to oral bacteria, possibly due to chronic inflammation from periodontitis — a severe form of gum disease. Pregnancy and birth – Gum disease has been linked to premature birth and low birth weight. Diabetes – Diabetes reduces the body’s resistance to infection — putting the gums at risk. In addition, people who have inadequate bloo
