How Many Dental Cleanings in Winter Park Should I Get Per Year?
How many dental cleanings in Winter Park should I get per year?
If you haven’t been to the dentist in a while, you may wonder how often you should get a dental cleaning. You might also be wondering if you have a good dental hygiene routine or need to get a cleaning.
In short, for most patients, we recommend a cleaning twice a year. This usually means every six months; however, it’s not a strict recommendation that must be at precisely six months. If you have dental insurance, most policies also cover this frequency, typically at no cost to you. Routine cleanings and checkups are the best way for you (and your insurance company) to keep costs down by avoiding major dental procedures!
For some patients with prior or active periodontal disease, the general recommendation is to have dental cleanings more frequently (about every 3 to 4 months) so that buildup can be removed before it gets too difficult or invasive.
What is a regular dental cleaning schedule?
As mentioned, most patients and dental insurance will recommend cleanings twice a year. This should not be too inconvenient for the patient when appropriately timed with a regular dental checkup and preventative X-rays. Most patients will schedule their cleanings six months apart, which usually means scheduling an appointment as they walk out of their cleaning.
For parents and families on a local school schedule, timing can be essential to keep appointments from interfering with busy academic and extracurricular activities. When possible, we recommend cleanings be scheduled in the first month of summer break so that in 6 months or so, the schools will typically have winter holiday breaks. For example, if the dental cleaning is scheduled in mid-May or even June, a six-month dental cleaning could be scheduled near the Thanksgiving or Christmas break.
If you are using dental insurance, it may be essential to check your frequency limitations, typically listed as “Prophylaxis.” It can be a bit complicated, but the frequencies we see most often are:
Two cleanings in a Calendar Year (this typically gives the most flexibility as you can schedule anytime as long as you don’t exceed two cleanings between January and December)
One cleaning every six months (this should be watched closely as the insurance will be calculating the exact date to confirm it has been more than six months since your last cleaning)
Two cleanings in 12 months (this limitation can be pretty tricky as it considers the limits on a rolling basis, meaning you must account for your last two cleanings to evaluate when the next eligible cleaning is)
What if I have periodontal disease
For patients actively undergoing periodontal treatment, such as “deep cleanings” and “scaling and root planning,” your Winter Park dentist will typically recommend more frequent cleanings every 3 or 4 months. This is primarily because these patients are more prone to buildup around and below the gumline. Seeing a Winter Park dental hygienist more frequently will help prevent buildup from reaching areas requiring another “deep cleaning” procedure.
Typically, following your “deep cleanings,” our Winter Park dentist recommends the following schedule:
Scaling and Root Planing “deep cleaning” appointments (typically two separate appointments)
One month after – Courtesy periodontal re-evaluation and teeth polishing (checking gum health and getting your teeth shiny)
Three months after – scheduled dental cleaning
Six months after – dental checkup and preventative x-rays, and a scheduled dental cleaning
Nine months after – scheduled dental cleaning
12 months after – dental checkup and preventative x-rays, and a scheduled dental cleaning
The schedule would alternate continuously every 3 months, as seen above until the dentist sees your dental health has recovered and can switch to every 6-month cleaning with minimal risk. Some patients do switch back to 6-month cleanings within a year. However, some patients are at higher risk and more prone to buildup and stay on this cleaning schedule indefinitely. While it may be more troublesome for the patient, it helps prevent further bone loss or other major dental procedures.
Can I get more frequent cleanings anyway?
Some patients want more frequent cleaning (and some insurance will gladly cover it). Whether in preparation for a big event (like a wedding, long-term travel, or anything else) or as a preventative measure, your Winter Park dentist can accommodate more frequent dental cleanings. In the case of insurance, they may not support payment more frequently, and there may be a charge to the patient directly.
In conclusion, cleaning every six months is best for most patients. However, some patients may need or benefit from a more frequent schedule to maintain dental health. In either case, we’d be happy to help. Please call us if you have questions or want to schedule an appointment.