How Often Should I Go to The Dentist?

July 11, 2022
| Calvin Bennet

Written by Calvin Bennet · Updated September 2026

Most people should see a dentist about every six months for a checkup and cleaning — but the right frequency depends on your risk. If you’re prone to cavities or gum disease, smoke, or have conditions like diabetes, your dentist may want to see you more often. Even with great home care, regular visits catch problems you can’t see yourself.

Planning your visit to the dentist can be tricky – especially if you’re wondering how often you should go. Here are answers to some commonly asked questions about how often you should be visiting the dentist.

Are Regular Dentist Appointments Necessary?

People consider good oral hygiene to include a cavity free mouth, pleasant smelling breath and a shining, white teeth. Even if you have excellent oral hygiene practices, brushing and flossing your teeth regularly, you may be still wondering how often you should be visiting your dentist. The answer to that question is yes! Even those who take care of their teeth at home should see a dentist regularly to catch any of the potential issues that only a trained specialist can see.

Unfortunately, many of the deep rooted oral health concerns, like cavities, gum disease and cancer, don’t become visible until much later in their development. Even the healthiest people can be at risk for these illnesses, so it’s wise to visit a dentist regularly.

How Often Should I Go To My Dentist?

Several factors come into play when determining how often you should visit your dentist. These factors include your overall health, your oral health, your diet, oral hygiene habits and your own self-assessed opinion for your risk level of developing oral health problems.

How to Assess Oral Health Risk

To evaluate your risk for dental disease, you should consider all personal health, lifestyle, and genetic factors that contribute to your risk-level.

These include:

A High Sugar Diet
A High Carbohydrate Diet
Poor Oral Habits
Lack of Fluoride Containing Water
Smoking
Tobacco Product Use
Alcohol or Drug Use
Diabetes
Sjogren’s Syndrome
Head and Neck Cancers

How Often Should I Schedule a Visit?

Regularly scheduled visits to a dental specialist are helpful for up keeping oral health and preventing oral diseases. The general rule of thumb in America is to visit your dental specialist 1 to 2 times per year. There is no conclusive evidence that visiting more often leads to better oral health, studies do show that the frequency of dentist visits should mostly revolve around your predisposed risk to oral health diseases.

Your dental insurance plan also can be a factor to how often you see your dentist. If your plan covers two visits per year, then it would make sense to see your dentist twice every 12 months. It’s important to remember that even those with excellent oral health can still be at risk for oral diseases, so do your best to keep up with regular dentist visits, 1 to 2 times each year.

The bottom line

Twice a year is the right rhythm for most people, but let your risk guide it — and don’t skip visits just because your teeth feel fine. The whole point of regular checkups is catching problems while they’re small.

Frequently Asked Questions