It is generally recommended to have your teeth cleaned twice a year. Research now shows that once a year is sufficient for many people.
5,100 adults were monitored for 16 years. They had no gum disease and all had their teeth cleaned once or twice a year.
Bandages
The scientists examined the association between the number of visits to the dental hygienist, tooth loss and the three risk factors for gum disease:smoking, diabetes and genetic factors.
No risk factors
In people without risk factors, an annual cleaning proved sufficient. With one risk factor, six-monthly cleaning would be useful. Those with multiple risk factors may even benefit from more than two cleanings.
