Regular professional cleaning necessary for health of teeth

While two annual cleanings at the dentist is a standard practice, the preventative practice is not a one-size-fits-all rule of thumb.

Additionally, even those who consider their dental hygiene beyond reproach, it is still necessary to undertake professional, preventative dental care at least twice a year.

The origins of seeing a dentist twice a year began with an advertising campaign for Pepsodent in 1929.

The two-times-a-year standard was subsequently built into dental insurance plans which today, almost a century later, typically only cover two preventative cleanings each year, Dr. Rick Rzepka, dentist and owner of Rzepka Dental in Beachwood, said.

“Even though the twice-a-year visit is almost universal, it is a minimum. Some people should see a dentist three times a year, or even fo