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Whats the maximum amount of time you can go between checkups, before it gets an issue

Stewart

taking a break from the forum
Joined
Jan 6, 2025
Messages
83
Location
Birmingham
Hello Everyone

Please just looking for validation.

1) I hate everything about dentistry and dentists, and the anxiety it causes me, which borders on totally impossible to live with
2) I have no shame or embarrassment at all about my teeth
3) I have no pain or reason to be worried/obvious sign something is wrong

Want to ask how much time is reasonable between checkups, I want to do the absolute bare minimum so I dont have to go to the dentist. Id rather just be happy than face the fear I have.

Im thinking is 5 years between checkups acceptable?

I come from the point of view that.....I really dont understand why constantly paying for a checkup every 6 months, constantly having to have cleanings (which is the only thing i dont mind), and constantly paying for all of this and having the worry of having to go to these appointments over and over and over is better than having 5 years of bliss, them figuring out whats wrong, and putting it right. Whats the thing that going to 10+ checkups in that time was supposed to have achieved? Just doing loads of fillings, cleanings and extractions over a long, drawn out process of constant unhappiness, instead of 5 years of happiness and then maybe fix it later if somethings wrong? I dont get it?

I also dont get why "more invasive" treatment is worse? fillings are invasive? every treatment is rubbish, theyre ALL invasive, they ALL involve needles, they ALL hurt anyway.

Why not just have as long between appointments not getting needled etc, rather than be needled constantly until youre dead?

@Enarete can you please help change my (bad) viewpoint, because i respect your thoughts very highly
 
Hi Stewart,

this may be very individual. The recommended 6 months is usually because whatever problem may be there, it won't manage to get too bad within 6 months, even if your oral hygiene or eating habits are not too great. Therefore a broad recommendation for public.

With that said, there are people who have some risk factors (crowded teeth, medication that affects the bacteria in the mouth, health problems that are likely to affect their teeth health, or simply not a good hygiene due to an impairment) who can get a personalized recomendation of more frequent check ups, like every three moths or so. And for some people once a year is sufficient. Personally, 5 years sound like too long. If get a small decay, it will likely get so bad within 5 years that the tooth may not be able to be filled anymore but may need a root canal or extraction instead.

Also, a small filling is less invasive than a filling that needs a half of the tooth being drilled out. Also, every treatment as such makes it more likely that the tooth will need another treatment in 15-20 years or so. Therefore some dentist prefer not to fix everything straight away but observe it during future checkups so that they only intervene once things get worse. I have a dark spot on a tooth that is likely some decay but it has been keeping stable for the last 6 years or so so my dentist does not want to drill into it. Provided I go in regularly to have it checked and my eating habits and oral hygiene do not change much.

Hope this helps
 
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