Brushing your teeth regularly is one of the best ways to keep them healthy. However, sometimes plaque can hide in places that are difficult to reach. In these cases, a dental cleaning can help.
Teeth cleanings Killen Al can remove bacteria and tartar that may have built up over time, which can prevent serious dental problems. If you have a dentist near you, consider making an appointment.
Prevents Tartar and Plaque Buildup
Even patients with excellent daily dental hygiene practices sometimes miss bits of plaque in hard-to-reach areas. If this plaque isn’t removed, it can harden into tartar.
If left untreated, tartar hardens into a harder substance called calculus that can irritate the gums and lead to gum disease. It can also cause tooth decay as bacteria eat through enamel, and it can create holes in teeth cleanings Killen al.
Brushing for two minutes, twice a day and flossing daily can disrupt plaque before it hardens into tartar. But only a professional hygienist can safely and thoroughly remove it.
Prevents Bad Breath
Bad breath, or halitosis, can be caused by foods like onions and garlic, coffee, smoking, and poor oral hygiene. While mints and gum can temporarily mask odors, it is important to visit our dental office and see a dentist or dental hygienist for regular cleanings to prevent and address underlying causes of bad breath.
The dentist can also check for food stuck in between teeth cleanings Killen al and help patients improve their oral hygiene routine at home, which may include brushing with fluoride toothpaste twice a day and flossing once daily. Flossing removes bacteria that a toothbrush cannot reach. Visiting our office can also prevent gum disease, tooth decay, and other serious oral health concerns that contribute to bad breath.
Prevents Inflammation
Because bacteria attack teeth, causing tooth decay and gum disease, regular cleanings help prevent inflammation of the soft tissue surrounding your teeth (gingivitis), which can advance to the destruction of the bone that supports your teeth (periodontitis). These inflammatory conditions can lead to serious systemic diseases.
During dental cleanings, a hygienist uses an ultrasonic scaler or metal instruments referred to as curettes to remove the bacterial film called plaque and hard deposits that have formed on the teeth, usually over time. The hygienist will also polish the surface of your teeth using a brush and a special paste, which helps make it harder for bacteria to stick to the teeth.
Prevents Tooth Decay
A whitish film called plaque is the leading cause of tooth decay and cavities. When left unattended, it eats away at the enamel on your teeth cleanings Killen al and leaves behind tartar. Regular brushing and flossing prevents plaque build-up, but it can’t kill or remove it completely. Only a professional dental cleaning can get rid of it once it’s formed.
If you develop a cavity, the dentist can use a composite resin to fill it before it gets worse. This treatment is less invasive than a crown or root canal.
Tooth problems that go undetected and untreated cost a lot of money down the road. By visiting the dentist regularly, you’ll prevent issues that could lead to a costly procedure like a root canal or implant.
Prevents Gum Disease
Gum disease is a serious dental issue that is primarily caused by plaque buildup. If the bacteria in plaque is not removed regularly through proper oral hygiene practices, it hardens into a substance known as tartar (calculus). Gum disease can cause pockets to develop around the gum line that destroy tissue and tooth roots.
If gum disease is left untreated, it can progress from its early stage known as gingivitis into a more severe form called periodontitis. Regular dental cleanings can prevent gum disease by removing plaque and tartar from hard-to-reach areas of the teeth.
Prevents Infections
If bacteria are allowed to accumulate on the teeth, they can form plaque that leads to gum disease and tooth decay. Brushing and flossing remove some of the bacteria, but they can’t kill all of it, which is why routine dental cleanings are so important.
During a professional cleaning, the hygienist will remove all of the excess bacteria from the surface of your teeth. This prevents infections that could lead to a root canal or other costly procedures down the road.
A dental cleaning is also a great time to check for signs of oral cancer. The earlier a cancer is caught, the easier it will be to treat in any dental emergency.
Prevents Tooth Wear
If you eat a diet that’s high in sugar and starches, you can cause tooth wear. This is because the enamel, or thin outer coating of your teeth, erodes due to the acid that’s produced when these foods are eaten. Regular dental cleanings help prevent this and can save you from having to have more invasive and expensive procedures done in the future.
Many people neglect going to the dentist for a variety of reasons, including fear or lack of time. But not seeing the dentist is a serious health issue that can lead to a host of problems, not only in your mouth but also throughout your body.
