How Often Should You Have a Hygiene Appointment?
UK check-up guidance and European guidance on gum care after treatment set their intervals by each person's oral health and risk, not one fixed rule. This page covers what each says, the factors that shorten or lengthen an interval, and how frequency affects cost. At Deepcar Dental Care, the hygiene recall interval is 6 months with healthy gums, and 3 to 6 months after treated gum disease.
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Clinically reviewed by Dr Ibraheem Ijaz, dentist · GDC 301711
Medical disclaimer: This page is for general information only. It does not replace an examination or treatment by a dentist.
Dr Ibraheem Ijaz, the practice's principal dentist, reviewed this page. He is a General Dental Practitioner registered with the General Dental Council, number 301711, and his qualifications are BDS, BSc (Hons), MSc (Leeds), PG Dip Implant Dentistry and PG Cert Restorative and Aesthetic Dentistry.
Is six months a rule for everyone?
No: NHS guidance says some people may not need a dental check-up every 6 months, and others may need more frequent checks. The NHS says the time between check-ups can be anything from 3 months to 2 years, depending on how healthy your teeth and gums are and your risk of future problems.
The NHS range of 3 months to 2 years is about check-ups with a dentist, and our page on what a dental check-up includes explains the routine examination. Visits for gum care after treatment for periodontitis, a form of gum disease, are covered by a separate European guideline.
The main evidence on check-up intervals is the INTERVAL trial, which followed 2,372 adult NHS patients from 51 UK dental practices for four years. All had seen a dentist in the previous 2 years. Its authors concluded there was no evidence of a difference in oral health between 6-month and risk-based check-up intervals, nor between 24-month, 6-month and risk-based intervals for adults their dentist judged suitable for 24 months.
They also found that people greatly value frequent check-ups, so the most efficient interval depends on how costs and benefits are weighed. A 2020 Cochrane review that included the trial found high-certainty evidence of little to no difference in tooth decay, gum bleeding and oral-health-related quality of life between risk-based and 6-month check-up intervals for adults over four years, and judged the evidence for children and adolescents uncertain.
How does NICE guidance set a risk-based interval?
Under NICE guideline CG19, each person's interval is based on an assessment of their oral health and risk of dental disease. That assessment is discussed with them. CG19 covers the time between check-ups (oral health reviews) with a dentist.
NICE says a check-up lets the dental team and the person discuss, where appropriate, the effects of oral hygiene, diet, fluoride, tobacco and alcohol, the person's risk factors, how earlier care went, whether the person is able and willing to attend at the interval suggested, and the cost to the patient of check-ups and any treatment. For adults, NICE sets intervals between 3 and 24 months, in steps of 3 months. For under-18s the range is 3 to 12 months.
NICE says a routine check-up interval shorter than 3 months is not normally needed, but someone may need to be seen more often for specific reasons, such as managing a disease or a course of treatment. Those visits sit outside the check-up interval itself.
What can shorten a recall interval?
In NICE guidance, risk factors for dental disease help decide a person's check-up interval, and continuing disease activity may call for a shorter one. Delivering Better Oral Health (DBOH), the government's oral health prevention toolkit, and the European Federation of Periodontology (EFP) name risk factors for gum disease that include:
- plaque build-up, which DBOH calls the most important factor in periodontitis, the form of gum disease that damages the tissues supporting the teeth
- smoking or chewing tobacco, which DBOH says has a profound effect on the risk of periodontitis and makes treatment work less well
- diabetes: DBOH notes that well-controlled diabetes is not a risk factor, but advises assuming an increased risk for anyone who has diabetes, because control often varies
- alcohol, linked to periodontitis by emerging, low-certainty evidence
- some medicines, which DBOH says may affect gum health, so a full and up-to-date medical history matters
- previous periodontitis, because the EFP says people successfully treated for it remain at high risk of it returning or progressing
Our gum disease page explains how gum disease develops.
What can lengthen a recall interval?
In NICE guidance, a record of keeping your mouth healthy, together with a low risk of disease, can allow a longer interval. NICE says adults who have repeatedly shown they can maintain oral health, and who are not at risk, may have their check-up interval extended over time, up to 24 months.
The NHS puts it simply: people with good oral health will probably need a check-up only every 12 to 24 months, while those with more problems will need check-ups more often. NICE describes the change as gradual, made once the patient and the dental team are confident it is working, and calls gaps longer than 24 months undesirable, because the professional relationship could weaken and lifestyles may change.
For adults, DBOH's table of possible management options by basic periodontal examination (BPE) score pairs healthy gums with risk factor control and a low-risk recall.
Questions about this treatment? Book online or call the practice.
How often are visits after gum disease treatment?
After successful periodontitis treatment, European periodontology guidance recommends supportive care visits every 3 to 12 months, tailored to each person's risk and gum condition.
Supportive periodontal care is the follow-up the European Federation of Periodontology (EFP) says people successfully treated for periodontitis need, because they remain at high risk of it returning or progressing. The interval recommendation is based on expert consensus. The EFP also recommends strongly encouraging people to keep to these visits, because that is crucial for long-term gum stability.
Delivering Better Oral Health (DBOH) notes that trials comparing types of supportive care have been inconclusive, and that no randomised controlled trial has yet compared supportive care with no supportive care. It adds that professional removal of plaque and tartar (calculus) is of limited value without high standards of daily plaque control at home.
When should you speak to a dentist?
Do not wait for your next planned visit if you have any of the gum or tooth symptoms below. NHS guidance gives the action for each. NICE also encourages asking a dentist's advice before your next review if your risk factors change significantly.
NHS guidance says to see a dentist if your gums bleed when you brush your teeth or eat hard foods, your gums are painful and swollen, you have bad breath, or your child has sore, bleeding gums. NHS guidance gives these further actions:
- You or your child has gum disease and other symptoms such as very sore and swollen gums, teeth becoming loose or falling out, ulcers or red patches in your mouth, or a lump in your mouth or on your lip: ask for an urgent dentist appointment.
- Toothache that lasts more than 2 days, does not go away with painkillers, or comes with a high temperature, pain when you bite, red gums, a bad taste in your mouth or a swollen cheek or jaw: see a dentist.
- Toothache with swelling around your eye or neck, or swelling in your mouth or neck that makes it difficult to breathe, swallow or speak: go to A&E. Do not drive yourself: ask someone to drive you, or call 999 for an ambulance.
If you do not have a dentist or cannot get an emergency appointment, call 111 or visit 111 online.
What are the hygiene recall intervals at Deepcar Dental Care?
At Deepcar Dental Care, the hygiene recall interval is 6 months with healthy gums, and 3 to 6 months after treated gum disease. Hygiene appointments at the practice last 30 to 60 minutes.
How does visit frequency affect cost?
In general, visit frequency affects what you spend in a year, because a shorter interval means more appointments and a longer interval means fewer.
You can see the practice's current fee list online, or call the practice on 0114 288 2121 with a question about cost before you book.
Frequently asked questions
Is twice a year enough?
Guidance says it depends on your gums and your risk of disease. NHS guidance says some people may not need check-ups every 6 months while others need them more often. For people successfully treated for periodontitis, the European Federation of Periodontology guideline recommends supportive care visits every 3 to 12 months, tailored to each person's risk.
Why might someone be advised to have visits every 3 months?
In guidance, shorter intervals go with higher risk or with disease that is still active. NICE sets 3 months as the shortest routine check-up interval, and the European Federation of Periodontology places 3 months at the short end of its range for supportive care after successful periodontitis treatment.
Do you need dental visits if your teeth feel fine?
Yes, NHS guidance advises regular check-ups even if you do not have any problems. It says to see a dentist if you have not had a check-up for 2 years, or 1 year if you are under 18. NHS advice on preventing gum disease also recommends regular check-ups, especially if you are pregnant or have type 2 diabetes.
Can a check-up interval change over time?
Yes, NICE says the interval should be reviewed at each check-up, and that patients should be told it may vary over time. It may stay the same if it is working, lengthen gradually when disease activity is low, or shorten if disease continues.
Book a consultation.
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You can book directly with our dental therapist, without seeing a dentist first. A hygiene appointment can be booked without registering as a patient, and online through the booking portal.
Our dental hygiene page has more about hygiene appointments, and our local hygiene page covers drive times and parking.
Deepcar Dental Care is at 334 Manchester Road, Deepcar, Sheffield, S36 2RH, with free parking directly outside. The practice is on the ground floor and is wheelchair accessible.
You can contact Deepcar Dental Care online or by phone. Our patient reviews show what patients say about the practice, and you can browse this gum disease prevention section for related guides.
334 Manchester Road
Deepcar, Sheffield S36 2RH
0114 288 2121
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