How often do you need to go to a dentist?

Regardless of how you feel about your overall oral health, it's important to see a dentist regularly. A reasonable goal is to visit the dentist at least once a year for an oral health checkup, although some evidence suggests that those who have a low risk of contracting the disease can extend up to 18 to 24 months. It is usually said that you should go to the dentist twice a year. When in doubt, this is a good general rule to follow.

But if you want to be sure how often you need a dental checkup, you should consider your unique mouth, hygiene, habits, and general well-being. Based on these and other data, Moles et al in 1999 performed a computer simulation to identify optimal recall intervals, 8 They concluded that patients would benefit most if dentists attended at intervals ranging from 13 to 120 months. A more definitive answer could not be obtained due to two factors: some dentists are better than others at recognizing the presence of early disease and, more importantly, rates of disease progression vary greatly between individuals.