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Comment by ustamills | Hacker News Reader

I know my comment is anecdotal but for me it's relevant.

I'm 60 years old. Up until about 25 I just listened to dentists. They drill-and-fill and I went along. No longer. In 35 years I've had one problem. I broke a tooth biting on a hard seed in some Indian food. I got a crown for that. A few years later the crown came off. I haven't bothered getting it replaced.

I don't have tooth pain. My teeth have not shifted. I still eat what I want. I'm careful with Indian food. :)

My takeaway? I'm not seeing the dentist until I'm in pain or something breaks. No one is drilling on X-ray shadows again.

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I felt the same way as you do, and didn't go in until I knew there was a problem... Turns out I had quite a few hidden cavities, and at least a couple were severe enough to be worried about. I found myself wishing I'd gone in at least once in a while for a checkup, even if I didn't actually get a cleaning. I'm sure I would have gotten occasional or regular cleanings as well, though, and I'd probably be better off for it.

In short, I'd do it differently if I were doing it again. But I certainly would never take it to the level that most people do.

> Turns out I had quite a few hidden cavities

And you know this from any other sources than the dentist you then paid to fix it?

Setting aside the drilling on shadows...

There are studies that link gum disease to dementia.

https://www.nia.nih.gov/news/large-study-links-gum-disease-d...

> The mouth is home to about 700 species of bacteria, including those that can cause periodontal (gum) disease. A recent analysis led by NIA scientists suggests that bacteria that cause gum disease are also associated with the development of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, especially vascular dementia. The results were reported in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.

Going to the dentist for cleaning may be a good thing for those with less than ideal dental hygiene habits - even if no suggestions of cavities are ever drilled.

I go for a cleaning at least twice a year even though I brush thoroughly. The dentist will always be able of clear out plaque you can’t. That said, there might not be much reason to listen to them beyond that.

Yeah no way you don't go to the dentist for 20 years and not have a few millimeter thick worth of plaque on plaque. I brush and floss before I go to bed and go to the dentist every 9 months. I haven't had a cavity since I was 15 and my sweet tooth kind of faded out after that for some reason.

Haven't we read here on HN that there are studies that coffe might help with dementia (or Alzheimer?), so they should level up.

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