Am I the only one who thinks a cleaning every 6 months is overkill for healthy gums? | Dentistry Comparisons - Freelance Forum - The Community for Independent Professionals
Am I the only one who thinks a cleaning every 6 months is overkill for healthy gums?
My old dentist in Columbus had me on the 6 month plan for years and I never questioned it. Then I switched to a new guy in Dayton who actually measured my gum pockets and said I could go to 9 or 12 months since nothing was bleeding and I floss daily. I know people say 6 months is the standard, but my insurance only covers 2 visits a year anyway so it feels like the schedule got set by the billing department. Has anyone else been moved to a longer gap and did your teeth actually stay fine, or did you go back to every 6 months?
There's a whole pattern of this in everyday life where the default schedule just gets passed down like it came from God and nobody asks why. Eye exams every year, oil changes every 3,000 miles, physicals every 12 months. Half the time the numbers trace back to old habits or someone's bottom line, not actual evidence about you. Your new dentist actually measured something and gave you a real answer for your mouth, which is more than most of us ever get. Two visits a year is also just what insurance tends to cap, which tells you plenty. If your gums are quiet and you keep flossing, a longer gap sounds less like a gamble and more like someone finally looking at the facts.