Just wondering how many see the dentist every 6 months for a cleaning and to check for cavities? I used to go every 6 months but it's been a year since I've been due to no insurance. I know I should just go anyway.....my dental health is important.

I go every 6 months Kitty even though I absolutely hate it and I'm terrified. And now with all the meds I'm on I've heard all sorts of horror stories about people losing their teeth. Main thing is to make sure you floss and brush in between.

I go every six months, like clockworks, but I have insurance, and it doesnt cost me a dime. I think that makes it easier, but I have always been obsessive about my teeth. I grew up very poor, and mom worked over time to make sure we all had our teeth examined every six months. We had cavities fixed before they rotted through, and that set me up for a life long habit of making sure my teeth are well cared for. I have had issues when a dentist would ask to pull a tooth because an old root canal re infected, and they thought the tooth shouldnt be saved. I fought hard, and sought out a surgeon to save the tooth. I love my choppers.

As in another thread i highly reccomend that if you are paying cash for services ASK for a discount. 99% of offices will knock at least 10% off your bill. My dentist has a sign on the counter that says "if you are paying in cash, please ask us about your discount." If you need more of a discount, they will sit the office manager down with you to discuss your financial situation. Some folks get half off, and others will get free care if they qualify. If you meet income guidelines, you can also go to your town hall, and ask about programs that provide dental care. From state sponsered aid, to cash advances, there are many ways to get your dental care paid for. No one should do without dental care because of money. There are dentists out there that stand with feet of cement and demand full payment, even in the face of devestating poverty, but those are normally the ones that want to talk you into removing all of your old fillings, and have composites put in.

Isn't that the truth! I had taken my Dad to the dentist about a year before he passed away because of a sore place in his mouth that he had been complaining about for months. He still had all of his own teeth at 81 years of age!

This dentist wanted to bond and whiten his teeth! I wish I had had a camera to capture the look on his face.....he shot back "I'm 81 years old! What do I care if my teeth aren't white?? I'm just glad they're all mine!"

Heck yeah I go every 6 months to the dentist for my sticker and free toothbrush and floss!

Only when I'm having a problem...

I hate all Dentists with a passion...they charge way too much and they cause way more pain than they should.

I really really really hate the dentist. I had a really bad experience when I was little with a dentist. (guy was a quack, put fillings in teeth that didnt need fillings...and he tied me down at least once to the chair so he could put fillings in my teeth.)

My parents switched to a different dentist for the rest of most of my childhood. I quit going to that dentist because he was a jerk and got mad at me once because I screamed when he was starting to drill on a tooth. He hadnt even waited more than a minute or two before he started drilling after giving me the novocaine. He got mad at me, threw the drill down and told me to make an appointment and come back later. I never went back to him.

My new dentist seems to be the best dentist I've had. She lets me sit and get totally numb first and doesnt mind stopping for a little bit if I need to. Plus she's got all sorts of fancy equipment. She uses digital x-rays. Which I think is great, because the smell of developer that my old dentist uses makes me want to throw up. (the smell just goes thru his entire office and is overpowering. It's the scent that triggers a big part of my dentist phobia)

I really do like the new dentist. Plus, when she's had to work on my mom (which she's done a lot of lately) she's really really patient with my mom and my mom ends up falling asleep most of the time when she's at the dentist now.

We quit taking my mom to the old dentist not too long after I switched. He was not nice to my mom, and would tell her nothing was wrong in her mouth and send her home. When I took my mom to the new dentist, she was able to tell that my mom had a couple of infections in her mouth that the old dentist either ignored or couldnt find. The old dentist treated my mom as if she was stupid most of the time, the new one doesnt do that, and actually tries to understand my mom's ramblings sometimes when my mom is trying to describe what's wrong in her mouth. (mom cant always find the words she needs to explain things)

I love (and hate) the new dentist. I hate going there, but I love the fact that she's understanding of the phobia I have, and she's so nice to my mom. She might be expensive, but at least she's good. I'm glad that my dad is willing to pay for me to get my dental work done at her office. Hopefully I'll get to stay with this dentist for a long time.

I couldn't pick any of your answers because there's no rhyme or reason to when I go! I'm lucky in that I've never had any dental issues. I still have all my wisdom teeth and no cavities, but I think that's probably made me more complacent in my dental care...I just figure that nothing's gone wrong so far, so I'll always be ok. So far so good!

Voted every 6 months, but I go every 4 months. Possible problems from the medication I take, seems to weaken the teeth.

I go every 6 months. I used to work in a dental office, so none of it bothers me. But, we have really good dental ins too, so that makes a huge difference.