This review of the need for 6-monthly dental checks was limited to persons aged 12 years and more, because there are no data on the rates of progression of diseases of the primary dentition. Dental caries in the permanent teeth is a very slow disease, and takes about 2 years to progress through the enamel. Persons having dental examinations at intervals longer than 6 months were not at a disadvantage. They did not have more severe dental caries or periodontal disease than those attending at intervals of 6 months. Neither was there any evidence that an interval of more than 6 months would affect the prognosis for orthodontic treatment. Oral malignancies are rare in British populations, and routine 6-monthly screening to detect oral malignancies is unreasonable.