Many people neglect their dental cleaning routine and don’t realize that dental care is an important part of overall health. To be healthy, you must incorporate oral hygiene into your daily routine. If left untreated and cared for, many health problems can occur, including tooth decay and gum disease.
Tooth decay from plaque buildup is very common, as plaque is hard to see, and people often don’t give their teeth the attention they need to stay healthy. Bacteria within plaque produce acidic substances that can erode tooth enamel. Your saliva works in your mouth to neutralize acid produced by bacteria; however, once plaque has built up, it cannot penetrate to do its job. Prevention is always better than cure, as once plaque has built up, it can lead to cavities on the surface of your teeth if left unattended.
Normal brushing and flossing cannot remove plaque once you’ve allowed it to build up. The only option is to visit your dentist to have plaque removed before it causes more damage and leads to possible tooth loss. The benefit of a professional dental cleaning by your dentist is that they can get to the parts between your teeth that your toothbrush can’t reach.
There are two stages in the plaque removal process by your local dentist. Initially, the dentist will clean the plaque with specialized tools. This is also known as descaling. By using dental mirrors, they may see every part of your teeth to make sure no plaque remains. It’s important to note that even good oral hygiene care can skip parts of cleaning your teeth and still allow small amounts of plaque to build up, so regular visits to your dentist should prevent this from happening. The second stage is then polishing. The dentist will polish your teeth using a polishing tool to smooth your teeth and help prevent more bacteria from settling in the small contours of your teeth. This is not painful and you probably won’t even feel it, since the nerves are deep inside the tooth.
Dental cleaning by your dentist is something you should consider doing every year. It’s inexpensive, sometimes free, and it can prevent any gum disease or other problems that can result from neglecting your teeth. Your dentist will advise you how often you should clean your teeth as it is different for each person as people with porous and rough teeth will be more susceptible to plaque build-up and will need it more often. Your diet can also play a role in how quickly bacteria build up on your teeth. Seeing the dentist is not something you need to fear like many people. Perhaps this is because most people quit too late and then major corrections are required to reverse the damage it has done to their teeth.
Finding a dentist you like and trust will put you at ease and more comfortable making regular appointments and avoiding oral hygiene problems.