Dental cleaning frequency

How frequently you need dental cleanings is a common question, with a simple answer – it’s personal! At Willamette Dental, our insurance products include as many cleanings as are prescribed by your Willamette Dental dentist—whether that’s one time a year or four times a year. 

Most dental insurance plans only cover two cleanings per year. If a high-risk patient needs more than two cleanings, they typically are required to pay full fees out-of-pocket.

The Recommendation

Based on the most recent evidence, the treatment philosophy of Willamette Dental offers treatment plans that customize dental cleaning schedules to the needs of each patient.

Risk is determined based on your current oral health, which is diagnosed by comprehensive risk assessments for dental disease.

The Scientific Evidence

The ideal frequency of professional dental cleanings has been a subject of debate for decades, with a similar conclusion—dental cleaning frequency should be based on each patient’s personal oral health care situation rather than a tradition based on marketing or perceived value.

“Prevention reduces tooth loss, but little evidence supports biannual preventive care for all adults. A personalized medicine approach … may be useful in resource allocation for preventive dentistry.” – Giannobile, W., Braun, T. et al, Michigan Center for Oral Health Research

This groundbreaking study found

“persons having dental examinations at intervals longer than 6 months were not at a disadvantage.” Sheiham, A., The Lancet

Fun Fact

The tradition of the six-month cleaning schedule all started with a TV commercial in the 1950s for Pepsodent Toothpaste!