Women were shown to be much better at keeping regular appointments - with 76 per cent going at least every two years and half (52 per cent) seeing their dentist every year.
Only one in six men (16 per cent) go once year and a third (32 per cent) of men go once every two years.
Six out of ten men (62 per cent) said they would only go to the dentist if they had a pain in their teeth or gums or an obvious problem.
The results come from a poll of 1,000 people by Carisbrook Dental in Manchester - a leading private surgery.
A further 38 per cent of women said they had been inspired to improve their teeth by celebrities with perfect smiles such as Cheryl Fernandez-Versini and Michelle Keegan.
Dentist Tariq Idrees, owner of Carisbrook Dental, said: "Lots of people assume that you should have a dental check-up every six months.
"But some people may not need to go so often and others may need more frequent checks.
"I will suggest when it would be good to have a follow-up depending on how good a patient's oral health is.
"The time between check-ups can vary from three months to two years, depending on how healthy your teeth and gums are and your risk of future problems.
"A check-up allows a dentist to see if you have any dental problems and helps to keep the mouth healthy.
"Leaving problems untreated can make them more difficult to treat in the future, so it's best to deal with problems early, or, if possible, prevent them altogether.
"At Carisbrook Dental we find that women are much better at dental maintenance. They will stick to regular check-ups whereas men will often wait for a problem to arise before coming to see us.
"There is no doubt that more people covet perfect teeth than they used to. Celebrities like Cheryl Fernandez-Versini and Michelle Keegan have encouraged us all to raise our game a bit when it comes to dental beauty. That has to be a good thing."