Thanks for the advice though. My root canal procedure takes two visits, and after that I shall go get a cleaning, last time I did it was a year ago before I suddenly had the issues of toothaches from the visit.

Because there are so many untrustworthy people in our society today, I often feel the need for a person to “prove” that I can trust them. In a medical or dental environment many patients feel that proof comes in the form of how nice the doctor was to them. This obviously is meaningless. Other proofs of competence are things like educational level, certifications, teaching, other job or faculty positions, etc.

If someone is looking for a dentist, I usually tell them to ask their friends to recommend one. Generally the more recommendations you get from friends about a professional, the higher the level of trust.

This is a complicated topic, but well worth thinking about. Thanks for bringing it up.

Dental cleanings every 6 months are the standard of care because not only do you get a cleaning but you usually get an overall examination to look for cavities and other problems (like cancer). Lots of people need cleanings every 3-4 months because of how quickly they build up tartar and their lack of attention to detail with brushing and flossing.

Of course it is possible for the rare individual to go for more months without a dental cleaning and be fine. That’s the exception and not the rule though.

Listerine helps to minimize inflammation at the gumline but does not reduce tartar (calculus) below the gums. Flossing helps, but depending on your situation, floss might not be getting deeply enough below the gums to get everything out that a cleaning done at the dental office would.

I agree that the “technical” aspects of fixing a car is easier to predict than fixing a living organism. However, from the patient’s point of view, I do not know what is the best option for my car (an oil-change or a tune-up) or for my teeth (let it be or the procedure). The doctor/mechanic has an information advantage (knowing the real situation), and the patient do not know if the action taken is the best solution to the problem.

It can be stressful for a doctor to decide the best action when there are complications. I highly respect the decisions made and would take the consequence willingly. My concern about “moral hazard” is that I really have no way to distinguish an honest doctor from a dishonest doctor just by looking at the action she takes.

I always have a question for dentists, but I know I may get biased opinions if I ask directly. Can you educate us if dental cleaning is really necessary every 6 months? I mean, I use dental floss and Listerine after every meal. Can I avoid deep cleaning or at least avoid to do it so frequently?

With biologic systems, ie. humans, we are all built differently and there’s a huge variability in our physiology and psychology. Medical and dental treatment will necessarily have a more variable outcome than treatment to fix your car.

That’s why we talk about “prognosis” when it comes to treatment, and we don’t talk about prognosis when it comes to car repairs.