# How often do you go to the dentist?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-go-to-the-dentist/559592
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [November 5, 2010, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-go-to-the-dentist/559592 "2010-11-05T16:33:17Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)
#### Post date: [November 5, 2010, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-go-to-the-dentist/559592/1 "2010-11-05T16:33:17Z")
Having gone regularly every six months like clockwork for the past 25 years, I was just wondering.
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### Author:  [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)
#### Post date: [November 5, 2010, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-go-to-the-dentist/559592/2 "2010-11-05T16:47:54Z")
Having had four molars become infected in my youth because our family dentist thought they would fall out soon anyway and were not worth filling, I vow NEVER to go through that again. I go to the dentist approximately twice a year and have even the smallest cavity filled promptly.
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### Author:  [@Renee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Renee)
#### Post date: [November 5, 2010, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-go-to-the-dentist/559592/3 "2010-11-05T16:50:21Z")
Usually about every two years. I’ve never had a dental problem that caused pain, so the third option doesn’t work for me, but it’s not every year. I put it off because I hate it, my insurance covers everything.
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### Author:  [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)
#### Post date: [November 5, 2010, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-go-to-the-dentist/559592/4 "2010-11-05T17:05:06Z")
I picked “Every seven months to a year” because I used to go once every year, but it’s more like every couple of years now because I’ve never had a cavity and require minimal additional cleaning so it feels like a waste of time. Eventually I’ll probably only go if I have a problem.
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### Author:  [@gwendee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gwendee)
#### Post date: [November 5, 2010, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-go-to-the-dentist/559592/5 "2010-11-05T17:24:52Z")
It’s all due to cost/lack of insurance. When I’m covered I go once a year. I do understand that not going increases the risk of needing costly procedures in the future. Really I do. There are just other things I have to take care of first.
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### Author:  [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)
#### Post date: [November 5, 2010, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-go-to-the-dentist/559592/6 "2010-11-05T17:24:53Z")
It was every six months when I was a kid, then once every seventeen years as an adult. I put some pretty serious neglect into my choppers, and it culminated in one tooth falling out in small chunks over a period of several years. That last chunk came out on Christmas morning 2005. At the time I was unaware that another tooth was basically just a shell with some rotty stuff inside.
For a while then I went to the dentist every few weeks so that I could put his kids through college.
Then it was once every three months for a year or so for cleanings.
Now I’m back to every six months.
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### Author:  [@Cowgirl\_Jules](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cowgirl_Jules)
#### Post date: [November 5, 2010, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-go-to-the-dentist/559592/7 "2010-11-05T17:37:32Z")
I used to go every six months when I had insurance. Now I go about every two years. Not because it hurts; I rarely have dental problems. I just like a cleaning.
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### Author:  [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)
#### Post date: [November 5, 2010, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-go-to-the-dentist/559592/8 "2010-11-05T17:40:56Z")
Used to be every year…or so. The last time I went was yesterday morning, actually, and the time before that was about 7 months. I’m trying to make sure I go twice a year now. (I made the appointment because I was starting to feel sore around the gums which went away after a lot of diligent brushing/flossing, but I figure what can it hurt to go more often than less?)
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### Author:  [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)
#### Post date: [November 5, 2010, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-go-to-the-dentist/559592/9 "2010-11-05T17:56:46Z")
I said every 7 months to a year, but only because when I try to make a 6 month appointment their next opening is always 7 months away. I try to get 2 exams/year in.
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### Author:  [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)
#### Post date: [November 5, 2010, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-go-to-the-dentist/559592/10 "2010-11-05T17:58:45Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#):
>
> I said every 7 months to a year, but only because when I try to make a 6 month appointment their next opening is always 7 months away. .
Same here. But like clockwork for the past 22 years.
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### Author:  [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)
#### Post date: [November 5, 2010, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-go-to-the-dentist/559592/11 "2010-11-05T18:03:48Z")
this would be to the dentist office for a cleaning every 6 months. the dentist unless watching a problem or alerted to a problem might only examine every 12 months.
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### Author:  [@Kaio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaio)
#### Post date: [November 5, 2010, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-go-to-the-dentist/559592/12 "2010-11-05T18:20:14Z")
I haven’t been since college when I was still under my parents’ insurance. After that, I’ve never had either enough money or dental insurance as an adult, aside from one time where I had it for all of a month because I was laid off right after I became eligible for insurance. I tried to get in then, but the dentist was booked for a solid month and a half.
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### Author:  [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)
#### Post date: [November 5, 2010, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-go-to-the-dentist/559592/13 "2010-11-05T18:25:08Z")
My mom has total OCD about the whole dentist thing, so I used to go all the time, then regrettably fell out of that habit as an adult. I skipped the dentist for a few years, then went back at long last to discover I had cavities. I had to have a root canal on one of them. ☹
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### Author:  [@BlackKnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlackKnight)
#### Post date: [November 5, 2010, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-go-to-the-dentist/559592/14 "2010-11-05T18:27:26Z")
I haven’t been to the dentist in the past few years. I’ve been meaning to go in for a checkup and cleaning, but there’s no real urgency.
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### Author:  [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)
#### Post date: [November 5, 2010, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-go-to-the-dentist/559592/15 "2010-11-05T18:32:25Z")
I hadn’t gone for several years. Then I broke a tooth, went in to get it fixed, and in the process ended up making several appointments. As predicted, I had many cavities to be filled. And the initial cleanings they set me up with were of the “we’ll do one section at a time over a few different appointments” variety that featured what was described to me as a “mini-jackhammer.”
That was about 4 years ago. It’s been every three months since.
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### Author:  [@Glory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Glory)
#### Post date: [November 5, 2010, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-go-to-the-dentist/559592/16 "2010-11-05T19:21:11Z")
Every 6 months, never had a cavity.
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### Author:  [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)
#### Post date: [November 5, 2010, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-go-to-the-dentist/559592/17 "2010-11-05T19:26:11Z")
It’s been a good long while. I think I’ve been twice in the last twenty years. I don’t take the kids either.
Why? Umm…I guess I didn’t go a lot when I was growing up, then I was too poor, and now it’s just not something that ever occurs to me. My teeth don’t hurt.
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### Author:  [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)
#### Post date: [November 5, 2010, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-go-to-the-dentist/559592/18 "2010-11-05T19:44:58Z")
I go when it hurts. Last time, 10 years or so ago was just a sinus infection. At least they were honest about it, I was sure I had a cavity.
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### Author:  [@mack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mack)
#### Post date: [November 5, 2010, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-go-to-the-dentist/559592/19 "2010-11-05T20:35:26Z")
I go when I look in my mouth and think “damn, that’s not lookin’ too good” or if I’m practically crying in pain. My wife’s been trying to get me in to the new dentist for a checkup but I never get around to it. Apparently the new dentist doesn’t go on right wing rants while probing my forced-open mouth with sharp objects and drills like the last one, so at least there’s that to look forward to.
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### Author:  [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)
#### Post date: [November 5, 2010, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-go-to-the-dentist/559592/20 "2010-11-05T20:39:54Z")
None of the above. I’ve never had a cavity. My dentist once told me that my teeth were so good, there was no reason to come more than once a year. I usually remember about every 18 months.
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