I'll start by saying I'm a military dentist. The thing I most appreciate about being a dentist in the military is I don't need to sell services or products to my patients. If I have a day of exams where none of my patients need fillings I'm not feeling like I lost money that day. I don't have to worry about making payments on my office, my equipment or my staff. I also have patients that return to me every year so I can be more conservative in my treatment knowing they are required to return.
I'm not going to give specific advice but I will say based on my professional opinion regular dental visits are beneficial, how regular depends on a lot of things. Insurance companies are willing to pay for cleanings every 6 months. In the US military we do cleanings annually.
Here are the things you should do:
1) Brush your teeth for at least 2 min 2x/day with a soft bristle brush and appropriate technique so all plaque is removed. I use an electric toothbrush and can tell you I notice a difference on the plaque accumulation when using a manual toothbrush. Not saying you need an electric toothbrush but they will compensate for poor technique and let you be a bit lazier with your brushing. Also a bigger head isn't a better brush, a smaller head isn't a better brush.
2) Floss 1x/day. From my perspective waterpicks, interdental cleaners, toothpicks, mouthwash and other types of things aren't worth the money you spend on them. They each have their place but are not a replacement for flossing. Flossing is the only cleaning device that will clean the surfaces of your teeth that are in contact (coincidentally that is a one of the two very common places to get cavities).
3) Maintain a healthy diet. Obviously dentists don't like things that are high in sugar. Sugar feeds plaque (bacteria in your mouth). Also dentists don't like things that are acidic. Soda, energy drinks, and sports drinks are the worst. If you put a penny in soda it dissolves, think about what that is doing to your teeth. If you have a sweet tooth, or can't function without your energy drinks do it quickly. Don't prolong the snack or drink. Sipping one soda over an hour is far worse than downing ten in ten minutes. Also rinse your mouth with water after drinking or eating.
4) Maintain your overall health. As you age this is more important. Additionally lots of medications cause dry mouth. Saliva helps reduce the amount of bacteria in the mouth and also keeps the ph at the appropriate level. With a dry mouth you get more bacteria and a more acidic environment.
I disagree with the individuals that say you should go to a different dentist every year. It may end up being more expensive. An initial exam should cost more than a established patient exam because all diagnostic information must be obtained and they need to treat you as a riskier patient because you have no established rapport. My advice is to find a dentist like MayDay described (if your dentist is charging an additional $60 for an oral cancer screening they aren't a dentist like MayDay described). Someone who will explain where you have cavities and show you the x-rays and someone who will give you multiple options on treatment for a particular condition. If an dentist says you need a crown ask what type of crown. If they give you an option for a gold crown I would feel good about that dental office. I wouldn't feel good about an office if they say they only do in office milled CAD/CAM, Cerec or E.max crowns (it means the office spent a lot of money on equipment and only does crowns that allow them to recoup costs on the equipment not what is best for you/what you want). Those types of crowns are very good options but they may not be the best crown in every scenario.
I often use car care analogies with my patients. Regular checkups are like an oil change (3,000 miles is more often than most need just like 6 months is more often than most need). I've been to a car shop where they told me I could buy a 10 dollar part and find instructions on the internet. This is like the dentist that tells you about an early cavity that can be reversed if you improve your oral hygiene. If you find a good mechanic they will tell you when they notice something small that needs to be addressed in order to fix a future big problem a good dentist will do the same. If you wait until your teeth hurt (different from sensitive - not all sensitivity is a big problem) it's like you drove your car until it broke down, you now have a big problem. That is when you see expensive repairs.
