I have convinced myself that I can skip having my teeth cleaned. I have them all. Nothing is wrong with them. They don't hurt. My gums look good. I brush and floss them. I can save the time, energy, and money. So why should I have them cleaned anyway? I'll invest in a new toothbrush instead.

Gum diseases (sometimes called periodontal or gingival diseases) are infections that harm the gum and bone that hold teeth in place. When plaque stays on your teeth too long, it forms a hard, harmful covering, called tartar, that brushing doesn’t clean. The longer the plaque and tartar stay on your teeth, the more damage they cause.

I suggest you professionaly clean only the ones you want to keep.

quote:

Originally posted by clarebear: I suggest you professionaly clean only the ones you want to keep.

Now, that is funny, or is it? I thought that only smokers got tartar. In short, I never questioned what is tartar. You seem to be saying that plaque that feels too at home on one's teeth is tartar. Yet, what I cannot see on my teeth, also having good gums, does not scare me. I suppose that you do not want me to wait until my gums have become suspect due to no professional cleaning, but I do not have such expectations.

I was being facetious about the ones you wanted to keep... well sort of.

There was an old joke about the boy who asked why he had to floss. The dentist told him to only floss the teeth he wanted to keep.

Brushing at home can not remove all of the plaque. When plaque hardens, it becomes tartar. Once it has formed, only a dental cleaning by a dentist or hygienist can remove it. If you still don't want to get them professionally cleaned then just see the dentist when one of your teeth hurt or your gums start bleeding. If you don't think that will happen to you, then enjoy your bliss.

Clare is correct, my friend could not afford a dentist even if she wanted one and figured if she brushed, flossed, and rinsed after every meal she'd be okay....She was for several years, but now has gum disease....Also the dentist can detect small problems that can indicate other problems (non dental related)

Tsaeb, you need to get them cleaned in order to keep them looking like they look now.

honilov: You make me laugh, because they now look yellow, and the last time that I got them cleaned, they still looked yellow. I read that I am better off with yellow teeth than trying to whiten them, which is not the reason for getting them cleaned.

Truly, I am thinking of monitoring my teeth and will probably go to get them cleaned in six months or a year from now. I am scheming that a small speck on one tooth will be ripe for the dentist to look at by the time that I return to him. It is called killing two birds with one stone, much like trying to save one's expenses for one year for one's tax advantage, although that is not a factor here. When I started scheming, I started thinking that I must have reached middle age.

I get my teeth cleaned (professionally) when I have to absolutely positively go to the dentist. Last time was about 6 years ago when a filling fell out - hey four out of 5 fillings lasting 20+ years ain’t that bad.

The doctor accused me of having had my teeth cleaned recently, although it had been 10+ something years since the last time I had to absolutely, positively, actually needed to see a dentist and that was for a wisdom tooth impacting the rest (no my mouth isn't that big after all).

Some people are not fortunate enough to have picked their parents wisely. Another reason is because some people either don't know how to brush properly, or don't brush 3 times a day, after every meal and know what floss is for. Others it’s strictly a dietary matter. Sugar does lead to some interesting issues.

But now I am 40 – at age 40 men get some extra ‘interesting’ doctor exams and my last physical my doctor suggested I did start seeing a dentist due to my age – it appears that around about 40 the body undergoes interesting changes which can lead to an otherwise long healthy mouth going bad quickly. (That and middle age spread, more white hairs in beard and on head, the appearance of wrinkles and a lack of enthusiasm for staying up later than 10 pm)

Women go through menopause which directly affects calcium and other minerals in the body and can lead to the onset of tooth problems.

The older we get from around 40 on out the more prone we are to failures in the repair systems of our body – the body steals from one organ or structural member to repair another, and all of that means we are more prone to diseases, infections, and catastrophic failures of the structure.

As for whitening – yes some whitening products did lead to enamel losses – however most of the whitening agents used now days are not as harsh and, in the case of over the counter products – when used as directed may actually be safer than the dentists one shot treatment.

Hi,
I find this whole post rather interesting. Everybody here seems to give their power away to stay healthy and have healthy gums to the medical world. (Except the first post). I've only had my teeth cleaned twice in my life and I'm on the high side of 40. I still have all of my teeth and my gums are now healthy. I don't go to the doctor, don't take any prescription drugs, or OTC drugs for that matter. And that includes the chemical and flouride ladden toothpaste that actually causes plaque to build up. I make my own natural tooth powder and drink green tea, which stops the plaque form forming. I see a whole society that is brain washed by the press and medical system to believe that we can not live a healthy life after 40. Show me the proof. .

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