There is no universal answer — the interval depends on risk. One person needs a check-up once a year, another every three months. The wrong interval means either wasted money or an undetected disease.
Once a year
Suitable if your teeth are sound or you have few fillings, your gums do not bleed, you do not smoke, your hygiene is good and you have no chronic conditions. That is most adults with healthy teeth.
Twice a year
- Many fillings, crowns or bridges.
- Calculus forms quickly.
- Gums are prone to inflammation.
- Implants or extensive prosthetics.
- Smoking.
Every 3–4 months
- Treated periodontitis — maintenance care is the only thing that keeps the disease from returning.
- Poorly controlled diabetes.
- Dry mouth caused by medication.
- After cancer treatment.
Why “nothing hurts” is not an argument
The two most important dental diseases do not hurt at first. Decay only starts to hurt once it reaches the nerve — by then you need root canal treatment (€125–205) rather than a filling (€65). Periodontitis is quieter still: bone recedes for years without any pain at all, and by the time a tooth loosens, much of the bone is already gone. Lost bone does not grow back.
What a check-up actually gives you
- A radiograph sees what the eye cannot. Decay between the teeth, inflammation at root tips and bone level are not visible on examination.
- Early decay is reversible. A white spot is treatable with fluoride, without drilling (€15).
- Soft tissue check. The dentist examines cheeks, tongue and floor of the mouth — suspicious changes are found here.
- The state of old work. A leaking filling or crown margin can be repaired before the tooth is lost.
The financial side
An examination with imaging costs €30. One root canal with restoration costs €400–600. One implant, over €1,200. An annual check-up is the cheapest thing you can do for your teeth — and the only thing that catches problems while they are still cheap.
Hygienist and dentist are separate visits
The dentist diagnoses and treats; the hygienist cleans and teaches. For many people, the dentist once a year and the hygienist twice a year is right. A hygienist cleaning costs €100.
Book an examination at Unidenta in Tallinn — the calendar shows available times.