The Dentist

Not going to a dental cleaning every 6 months is a bad personal health practice, one that you are likely to be sorry for as the years go on. It’s not just about cleaning below the gum line and removing hard to reach plaque, it’s catching issues that can be easily fixed before they become crowns, root canals, abscesses.

If your employer offers health, they very likely offer dental. Water pik, floss, electric toothbrush, a rinse, bi annual dental cleanings.

Did you ever see the movie about the Deepwater Horizon disaster? Very early in the movie, Kurt Russell tells his subordinate Mark Wahlberg the story of how his father never went to the dentist. His father knew that if the dentist found a problem, his father would have to have it fixed. So his father chose to deny the existence of a problem by refusing to have someone look, analogous to the behavior by BP which caused the worst oil spill in global history.

I go to the dentist twice a year, and whenever I have a specific complaint.

2x per year, every year. Completely covered by insurance and another $1k per year is covered if I need more than a cleaning/check up. I don’t want to be without teeth when I get old. Cosmetic reasons are less important but brown or snaggly teeth are gross.

You don't need to floss all of your teeth, just do the ones you want to keep.

Yep. Two free cleanings per year - no reason not to go - and aren’t most dancers in school to be dental assistants ! Hygienists ?

Two cleanings a year, Medicare advantage insurance covers both, plus limited procedures if there necessary

Twice a year every year. I want to keep my teeth.

Flossing is a pain and I was never that good about it until maybe 5 years ago. Then I recently got a water pick, which is great. The first time I used it, I flossed first, then used the water pick. I was amazed at what came out between my teeth. That convinced me on the merits of the water pick.

Regular brush, regular floss, regular dentist appointments.

My teeth feel dirty if I don't brush twice a day and it's distracting.

Yes regular dental maintenance for many years now. However this thread does remind me of a story from my youth.

When I was about 12 I recall declaring with pride to my sister and mom that ‘I brush my teeth every day now’

There are listing people with a fear of the dentist and avoid it even though they can afford to go. They need proper upbringing to get comfort with dentists so they continue to visit them.

I get mine cleaned every six months. I don't have dental insurance but I do get a 10% discount for paying by check.

I go, I have a small co-pay. I didn't go for a while. I had a pretty shitty dentist as a child, likely due to budget constraints, I'd leave bleeding and sore for weeks. I had a few baby teeth that didn't come out naturally and were removed, with no anesthetic. So as an 18yr old or so, I avoided the dentist. It wasn't until I got around 22-25 I started noticing people who had neglected their teeth and the damage it had done that I started going again. I told the dentist some of my stories from my younger years and he said my specific stories were a bit worse than average, but that it was pretty common for him to get stories like that of people who had stopped going. Most of the time what brought people back was relentless pain. Fortunately I didn't let get that far.

I don't know how common it is to go or not, but I know that place is always busy as fuck. There's three dentists and two other specialists like dental surgeon or orthodontists or something in the office and it's always packed, but its not like they got people sitting for hours just waiting.

On a side note, a friend of mine recently went to the dentist for a cracked molar who referred him to an oral surgeon - he quoted $7500 for the extraction and an implant. And that doesn’t include the crown from his regular dentist which will likely be another $1500 to $2500 at least.

$10k seems rather excessive. Apologies if any dentists are on here. Implants are probably the way to go for a young person but for a guy in his mid 60’s I told him to explore cheaper options such as a bridge

“but I know that place is always busy as fuck.”

I posted this because I just recently went to the dentist. A few weeks ago my hygienist was sick and had to cancel, the rescheduled me for October! I was like “October? You sure you got that right?” And they said “yes, we book up quick.” Luckily they had a cancellation and worked me in but damn, I wish I could book all my work appointments 6 months out!

I go regularly now. I didn't go in my twenties and had a lot of cavities and also periodontal disease when I finally did go when I was thirty. One thing I highly recommend in addition to regular dentist visits is taking oral probiotics like ones with the m18 strain. My teeth and gums have been much improved since I started taking those.

Twice a year cleanings. I brush my teeth all the time and get numerous comments about how white my teeth are. But I really don't like to floss. So I gargle with mouthwash after I brush my teeth.

As a kid I always went every 6 months. I had a cavity once when I was in high school. Continued going regularly through college and until around mid-20's. I'm 56 now and in the last 30 years I've been maybe 4 times. The last time I went was about 5 years ago and that filling I got in high school had to be replaced.

I've always had insurance coverage that pays for cleaning twice a year and the usual stuff, but I don't go because I never think of it and I really don't give a shit. In my whole life I only ever had that one cavity. I also still have all my wisdom teeth.

Not to mention that there is a strong link between poor oral hygiene and heart problems. All the bacteria in your mouth inter your system and cause inflammation. Same for some types of arthritis. Good teeth impact a lot of other things

That's what the ADA says to keep you going to the dentist all the time. I brush several times a day and use tartar control mouthwash. I don't need some guy poking and scraping my teeth and giving me a sales pitch for bullshit extra procedures. I'm not a movie star.

I stopped the dentist a few years back for no reason at all. Never minded the dentist as I never needed braces and have never had a cavity in my life. I have 2 dental implants from a fight and hockey.

The whole name of the game is keep food off your teeth. I always listerine after I eat or drink something. Especially sugar that can’t be sitting on your teeth. If anything use water and swish around get that stuff off

"Do you go to the dentist on a regular basis? " Absolutely. Twice a year. Brush at least twice a day. Floss daily and waterpic daily when not traveling. How is this even debatable? What, are we turning into Great Britain?

Ps. Sorry LondonGuy if that is just a bad stereotype, but I have know some pretty wealthy Brits with some gnarly jacked teeth.

A good dentist makes such a big difference. For a minute 2-3 years ago I enrolled in dental HMO thru my company because it was so much cheaper. I knew better but did it anyway.

Only the most inexperienced and worst dentists sign up to be part of the HMO. I went once for a cleaning. My mouth hurt for days after her poking with her tools. I even asked her to chill out in the force about halfway thru. She then proceeded to refer me to two specialists for BS diagnoses that she made during my visit. What a shitshow. Teeth are not a good area to cut a corner.

I'm surprised this is a question, but it's good to hear that people have good hygiene. I had to change dentists, which was a problem because he's like a minute walk, but all his covid protocols were driving me nuts. I don't floss every day, but I do a ton of mouthwash. Also, invest in a high quality toothbrush, saves time.

I have a mock dental office at home for dental fetish play. Does that count?

I take very good care of my teeth, but minor dental problems run in my family and I’ve had my share over the years. Having a "sweet tooth" doesn’t help, I’ll admit.

I’ve lived in seven different states as an adult and have had quite a few different dentists. The best ones – for a number of reasons – have all been women. My current dentist of 16+ years is a real hottie and would be in demand at any strip club in the country.

Back in the 1990s, I had a dentist whom I liked. He was young-ish, pretty hip, fun to talk to, and did excellent work. At the time, there was a lot of bad press about long-term problems with silver amalgam fillings (of which I had a few) and he convinced me to have them replaced with gold. My insurance fully covered it (man, those were the days), so it was no big deal. A few years later, I saw him driving a Lamborghini around town, which made me stop and think, and I switched to a new dentist. Shortly after that, he lost his license and went to prison for insurance fraud. That said, 30 years later those free gold fillings are still in perfect shape. 😁

Little known true fact - the "toothbrush" was invented by an individual who never went to a dentist for a check-up. If it was invented by anyone else it would have been called a "teethbrush."

It’s not just about dental health. Gum disease and bacteria in the mouth affects overall health. These infections find their way into the bloodstream and can cause serious harm, including a correlation with heart disease.

It's not the dentists or hygienists that delay my visits....it's the condescending office staff. "Ummm....ya know, There is a 6-month wait for appointment"....not what they say, but how they say it. "We don't accept new patients." "We require x-rays...we don't care that you need to personally pay a portion not covered by insurance."

I go every 6 months. I brush and floss twice each day. I had issues with my teeth when I was a kid - and I understand it’s necessary to maintain proper dental hygiene.