Why You Don't Want to Skip Professional Dental Cleanings

Even if you’re diligent about brushing your teeth for at least two minutes twice a day and flossing at least once a day, you still need a biannual dental cleaning. 

Your twice-yearly trips to the dentist for professional teeth cleanings play a major role in your oral health. During your visit, your provider: 

• Examines your teeth, gums, and tongue
• Checks for signs of oral cancer
• X-rays your teeth and jaws to look for abnormalities
• Removes plaque and tartar buildup
• Notes any changes to your gums, inner cheeks, jaws, or teeth
• Evaluates your bite and tooth alignment

At 2K Dental, our expert dentists recommend professional teeth cleaning at least twice a year. Here’s how a professional teeth cleaning enhances your oral and general health.

Preserves your teeth and gums

The clear, sticky film that builds up on your teeth between brushings is called plaque. This acidic substance is the primary cause of tooth decay, because it’s filled with bacteria. 

If you don’t brush your teeth regularly, plaque hangs around on your teeth and erodes your tooth enamel, which increases your risk of developing cavities. Even with daily brushing, some plaque may harden into a crusty brown substance called tartar. 

You can’t remove tartar by brushing. Your dentist carefully chips away at tartar with specialized tools. If you try to break up tartar yourself, you could permanently damage your teeth. If you ignore it, you risk gum disease and tooth loss.

Tartar builds up on your teeth and under your gumline, pushing the gums away from the teeth and creating pockets where bacteria collect. If you have tartar on your teeth and under your gumline, you run the risk of getting gum disease. 

Nearly half of Americans 30 and older have periodontitis, an infection in the soft tissues of your mouth. Without treatment, it destroys the bone supporting your teeth, causing tooth loss. It’s estimated that 178 million Americans have at least one missing tooth; 30% of those aged 65-74 have no teeth left at all. 

Removes stains and freshens your breath

Consuming certain beverages on a regular basis — like tea, coffee, and red wine — leads to staining that won’t come off with brushing alone. During your regular professional teeth cleanings, we not only scrub off these troublesome stains, but we also remove hidden particles in your mouth that can cause persistently bad breath.

After your cleaning, you can feel the difference between your regular daily dental routine and a professional cleaning. Your teeth will feel clean and smooth. You’ll notice that your teeth are brighter and less dingy, too.

Improves your health

Your oral health and general health may seem like separate issues, but they’re intimately linked. In fact, maintaining or improving your oral health reduces your chances of certain serious health conditions and diseases, including heart disease and stroke. 

Bacteria in your mouth can enter your bloodstream and move throughout your body, lowering your resistance to infection and damaging organs. A few conditions linked to poor oral health include:

• Cardiovascular disease
• Pneumonia and other respiratory diseases
• Complications during pregnancy
• Endocarditis (heart infection)

Similarly, your oral health can be negatively impacted by some medical conditions, such as diabetes, osteoporosis, HIV/AIDS, and Alzheimer’s disease.

Is it time for your biannual professional teeth cleanings? Contact our friendly staff at our Parma, Cleveland, or Akron, Ohio, office to schedule a cleaning and checkup today.