People who have always maintained good oral hygiene and a low sugar diet can be excused for wondering why regular dental checkups are still necessary. After all haven't I brushed (and flossed!) my teeth meticulously every day - what could have gone wrong?

In some cases this view does seem justified. We have seen our share of patients who have not seen a dentist in years and yet have no major dental problems. 

Despite this it is still highly advisable to schedule regular dental checkups. We advise checkups at 6 month intervals as a general guide. In our office this is the starting benchmark though we do advise modified schedules (like 12 monthly or 3 monthly intervals) depending on the patient's situation. 
 
Dental Checkups provide :
Advice and guidance on your daily oral health maintenance
Early detection of dental problems
Timely intervention should a problem arise

In addition, most people do experience a build up or dental calculus (also referred to as tartar) and in most cases this has built up to a significant level in 6 months. So a scaling and prophylaxis is advisable, indeed most of our patients schedule "cleaning" or "oral hygiene programme" rather than "checkup" appointments.