That guilt is REAL. I’ve got my first appointment in years coming up and now I’m over here flossing like it’s an Olympic sport, hoping nobody notices I basically forgot about it for months. Honestly, after reading about people going three times a year, I’m starting to wonder if I should up my game... but then again, the dentist chair gives me major anxiety. Maybe twice is enough for now?
- Been there with the “Olympic flossing” right before an appointment… every time.
- Twice a year is what my dentist always pushed for, and honestly, that feels doable for me.
-
“the dentist chair gives me major anxiety. Maybe twice is enough for now?”
Same here. I get super tense, so more than twice would just stress me out.
- My friend goes every 3 months, but she’s got some dental stuff she’s monitoring. For most people, two seems pretty standard.
- If you’re keeping up with brushing and (occasional) flossing, I think you’re good. No need to go overboard if it makes you anxious.
“the dentist chair gives me major anxiety. Maybe twice is enough for now?”
I hear you on the anxiety. My heart rate spikes the second I smell that “dentist office” scent—like, why does it always smell the same? I stick to the twice-a-year thing, mostly because my dentist gives me that look if I skip. Once, I tried to squeeze in a third visit when a crown popped off, and let’s just say my nerves were shot for a week. Unless there’s an emergency, two is plenty for me... and I still do the Olympic flossing routine right before. Some things never change.
Twice a year seems to be the standard, and I totally get the anxiety part. I always overthink the ultrasonic scaler—it feels like a tiny jackhammer in my mouth. I read somewhere that unless you have gum disease or other risk factors, more than two visits isn’t usually necessary. Still, I sometimes wonder if skipping a cleaning would really make much difference as long as you’re brushing and flossing well... but then I chicken out and just go anyway. The anticipation is honestly worse than the actual cleaning for me.
The anticipation is honestly worse than the actual cleaning for me.
Totally agree, the dread always gets me too. I used to wonder if skipping a cleaning would matter, especially since I’m a bit obsessive with my electric toothbrush and floss. But the one time I pushed it to 9 months, my hygienist found way more tartar than usual. Made me rethink trying to stretch it out. Do you ever feel like your teeth are “fuzzy” if you go too long? Or is that just in my head...
