I have been told that I have to have periodontal cleanings every 3 months. Is that about right or too much?
445414
It is crucial that you go back and have your peridontal maintenance done in 3 mos!I don't know the severity of your infection,but your hygienist or dentist will remeasure your periodontal pockets and chart you healing.Dental floss can only go as deep as 4mm,so even after your are first deep scaled,areas of over 4mm will exist.Basically your homecare is missing millimiters of bacteria(millions upon millions of anaerobic pathogens),so another thorough deplaqueing in needed until you readings are 0-4mm.Now I do feel that $180 is a bit high for a perio. maintenance visit,but I live in the south where our fees are less.There is a great product called Arestin,where we place antibiotic directly into any unhealed pockets.It greatly increases your chance of healing and may reduce your need for surgery later.Ask if your office does Arestin therapy.Make sure your dental provider is willing to explain your periodontal disease to you completely,I get the feeling you were not informed of the WHY you needed the 3 mos. cleaning interval.If you are not satisfied,go elsewhere or seek the help of a periodontist(gum disease specialist).80% of tooth loss today is due to gum disease not decay,so it is a serious problem!!It also affects over 80% of people over age 35.Invest in an excellent electric brush such as the Sonicare or Oral B triumph,they remove much more plaque than and manual brush.Also you may get an electric flosser such as the oral b hummingbird or reach access flosser to help you floss more efficiently.
1099038
Ingested fluoride is important until all your adult teeth are formed to help make the teeth strong.  To keep them strong and healthy brush at least 2 times a day for at least 2 minutes with a soft bristle brush.  The brush should be angled at 45 degrees and you should start at the gums and "vibrate" the brush.  Don't scrub back and forth.  This can cause recession and wear the enamel.  If this sounds like a lot of work think about a Sonicare toothbrush.  Floss daily.  Make sure you get under the gumline and wrap the floss like a "C" around each side.  You can also use an antimicrobial mouthwash like Listerine to keep the gums healthy.  Or you could use a fluoride mouthwash like ACT to help remineralize the enamel.  Also regular cleaning and exams (once every six months will be sufficient if you have no existing periodontal conditions or other dental problems) are very important to maintaining dental health.
1088113
Yes, but you need to seek periodontal care.  It's not going to get better by itself or just with vitamins.\n\nThe periodontist may end up [squeamish alert] cutting and scaling back your diseased or receding gums a little so that healthy gums can re-grow.  Then things get better, but you still have to take good care of your teeth since you are now prone to these and related problems.  I have had it done, and it hurts, but it is worth it to not have these problems any more.\n\nOf course the best thing would be to avoid periodontal problems in the first place by having good mouth cleaning and brushing habits, and regular dentist visits.  [This is mainly for other readers of this answer].\n\nGood luck!
214428
You should be flossing at least once a day.  It will catch up with you in the end if you do not.  You would be amazed how many people go well into adulthood with straight white teeth and no cavities and then end up losing all of their teeth due to bone loss caused by periodontal disease becaues they did not floss.  An old and very true saying is "only floss the teeth you want to keep"!
1077479
Three weeks ago.  I go religiously every six months and when needed other than that.  I have had no cavities or needed anyother type of dental work done other than check-ups in over ten years.
1118717
I had them for nearly 3 years. I hated them and couldnt wait to have them off but my stupid dentist wouldnt and i had to literally beg him to take them off before my year 10 formal. I mean, they worked, but they are a pain while they are there. I was supposed to have them for 12-18 months and like i said it ended up being 3 years.
1130414
Most people don't floss, but know they should.  I hear it all day long.  Of course after they have a very uncomfortable, bloody appointment with their hygienist, they sometimes turn around.\nMost people should be okay with flossing once a day, but some people get 'stuff' caught in their teeth and need to floss after every meal.  What flossing does is disrupt the bacteria under the gums, so depending on your bacteria and how fast it collects and how 'mean' it is, you may need to floss more often!\nI will never tell anyone that they floss too much, as long as they are flossing correctly and aren't cutting their tissue.\nI like to say\nFloss the only the ones you want to keep!
926326
i brush and floss after every meal 3 - 5 times a day
96255
It's possible you have gingivitis which is the beginning stage of periodontal disease.  Good news, it's reversable.  Make sure you are brushing reguarly and floss at least once a day.  Not flossing can lead to periodontal disease.  Also, make sure you are seeing your denist for regular check-ups and cleanings every 6 months.
485773
i take pretty good care of my teeth and i visit the dentist regularly, besides, that's what they're there for, why get embarressed...however, i still from time to time get one of those creatures on my teeth, so i get it treated, proceed with the dentists' instructions and move on. but i can offer you this, obviously you're not taking care of your teeth as well as you should to have two-three cavities and a rotten tooth at one time...so you may want to work a lil harder on cleaning your teeth and visit the dentist sooner than later. finally, where is the embarressment coming from? it goes beyond the dentist...soul search. people tend to get embarressed when they worry about what people say about them. not i and you should'nt either...hell, if no one had bad teeth the dentists would'nt have a job...
763640
brushing twice a day is not too much, it is just normal. do not worry, I do not think there will be any damge to your teeth.
187716
Sounds as if you may have periodontal disease.  Get in to see your dentist as soon as possible for an evaluation and necessary treatment.  Also, make sure you have good oral hygiene by brushing 2-3 times per day and flossing at least once per day and always see your dentist every 6 months for a cleaning and exam.  The more you brush and floss you will notice your gums begin to stop bleeding.  Hopefully you only have the first stage of gingivitis which is reversible with a good cleaning at your dental office so that tarter can be removed and with good oral hygiene maintenance.  Additional treatment will be needed for more advanced stages of periodontal disease.
278536
A bad sign ..ur probabily have gingivatis!!! Brush twice a day and floss b4 u go to bed!
541923
If I had a dollar for every time someone said I just want a cleaning and no x-rays.  These days there is no such thing as a "cleaning".  If a dentist sees you as a new patient, cleans your teeth, and does not take any x-rays to see inter-proximal decay or bone loss associated with periodontal disease then he is neglecting you.  The dentist can be held liable by a court of law even if you said you do not want x-rays.  It goes like this, you come in and have your cleaning, no x-rays, you have an exam by doc and go on your merry way.  Two weeks later you have a tooth ache so bad that you want to tear your hair out, you go back to doc, he takes an x-ray, and surprise you have an abscessed tooth.  You are pissed and want to know why doc did not say anything about a tooth that was/is abscessed two weeks ago?  Well the dentist could not see the root of that tooth unless he has an x-ray to look at, and that is where the abscess is; around the root of a tooth.  Now are you going to say okay doc, I know that you did not take an x-ray that's not a problem.  Or are you going to think, hey this is the dentist, he/she should know what to do?  Now I am going to sue them for neglect.  If I were you I would save the money for the cleaning part, and get a full set of x-rays to make sure there is nothing serious going on.  We have to see the whole picture before we can give you the care that you need and deserve.  Oral health is not just about cleanings anymore.  You must have a healthy mouth in order to have a healthy physical body.  It all goes together.  Any bleeding in the mouth is a sign of infection.  Any decay in the mouth is infection.  Any abscess in the mouth is infection.  That means bacteria, pus, and swollen bleeding gums.  Yuck, do you want that in your mouth?  I sure as heck don't.  The way that you worded your question leads me to believe that you need some help and an update on dental care.  Go to The American Dental Associations website and read and learn what you need to know about a dental checkup and the importance of radiographs.  The amount of radiation is small, esp. the offices that now use digital radiographs, it is a third less radiation then traditional x-rays.  You can also contact a local dental school.  As a student I was always desperate to find somebody to take a full mouth set of x-rays on.  Many times I would even pay for the set just to have someone to take them on.  At the time I was in school, (2002) a full mouth set was fifteen dollars.  In the real world of dentistry they run from 80 to 150 dollars.  Quite a big difference.  To answer your question after all of the lecture, at our office, for an exam, basic cleaning, and bitewing x-rays, about 130.00 dollars.
595193
Once every 6 months is recommended.  There might be cavities forming, but they're too small to be seen.  Just because your teeth line up correctly and have great color doesn't mean that there aren't small holes that are tough to detect.  It's better than letting it get too far and having to get the whole tooth removed because it's beyond repair.
171114
5 times every single day but four times are with regular toothpaste,I use a special toothpaste the 5th time brushing.
1009880
The above answers seem to have you on the right track.  Just one more tip...change your toothbrush or you may recontaminate yourself.