Six months is the standard recall interval and it suits most adults with stable teeth and healthy gums. It is not a rule handed down from nowhere: it is roughly how long it takes for a new problem to become visible but still be cheap to fix.
When more often makes sense
- Active gum disease, where three or four month maintenance is the difference between stable and progressive
- A history of rapid decay, or a dry mouth from medication
- Smoking, which affects both gum health and healing
- Orthodontic treatment, because brackets and aligners change how well you can clean
What a check-up is actually for
Decay does not hurt until it reaches the nerve. By the time a tooth is painful, the conversation has usually moved from a filling to a root canal. Bitewing X-rays find the cavity between the teeth while it is still the cheap version of the problem.
A check-up also includes screening for oral cancer and an assessment of gum health, both of which are silent in their early stages and both of which are far more treatable when caught early.
Our new patient offer covers a full examination, a professional clean and two bitewing X-rays for $275. It is the cheapest appointment we do, and it is the one that prevents the expensive ones.