You know you should visit your dentist every six months—but why do you need to get your
teeth cleaned so often? Aren’t you doing a good enough job at home?
The truth is that even with great home care habits, plaque still accumulates in places you can’t reach in your mouth. By visiting the dentist, you not only get a thorough cleaning, but also lower your risk for oral disease.
Here’s why those regular teeth cleanings continue to be an important part of a healthy smile!
Remove Surface Stains
Our teeth are strong and meant to last a lifetime, but our enamel is porous. What this means is that the foods we eat and the drinks we consume can stain our tooth enamel over time [1].
This is why some people tend to have a yellowish or brownish hue to their teeth as they age. Stains can become harder to remove over time as they accumulate. A professional cleaning will regularly remove these stains, which results in an overall brighter smile even without a professional teeth whitening.
Prevent Tooth Decay and Gum Disease
While brushing and flossing your teeth certainly goes a long way towards removing plaque and bacteria from your mouth, it’s impossible to remove every trace of plaque. Inevitably, plaque will accumulate in between teeth and on the backs of teeth where not everyone remembers to brush.
Plaque and bacteria can build up around the gumline and cause gum disease, which is the primary cause of tooth loss in older adults [2]. Plaque and bacteria are also responsible for tooth decay, which can result in the need for fillings, root canals, and even tooth extractions.
Save Money
Seeing your dentist helps prevent problems with your smile that can save you big bucks in the long run. Consider the cost of treating gum disease, getting a cavity filled, having a root canal procedure, or repairing damage from an injury.
Having to fix a painful problem at the dentist can be taxing on your dental insurance or, even worse, generate large out-of-pocket costs. Even if you don’t have dental insurance, talk to your local dentist about a payment plan or a preventative care plan.
Many dentists offer affordable preventative care plans for checkups and cleanings to make such care accessible and to help you prevent problems with your teeth and gums.
Stay Healthy
An ever-growing body of research is linking devastating health conditions such as heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and cancer to gum disease, which the majorly of American adults have in some form [3].
Although exactly why this happens isn’t clear yet, experts believe bacteria from your mouth can travel through the bloodstream and cause inflammation, which can result in a variety of health issues.
Many oral healthcare professionals believe the mouth is an indicator of a person’s overall
health. By visiting your dentist to maintain a clean and healthy smile, you can help support your overall wellness!
Are You Ready to Schedule Your Next Cleaning?
Yes, you will need to take time out of your day to go and get your teeth cleaned, but, your
mouth will feel squeaky clean afterward and you’ll feel even better knowing you’re helping to lower your risk of disease and investing in a beautiful smile for life!
Sources:
1. https://now.tufts.edu/articles/what-causes-discolored-teeth-and-there-any-way-cure-
or-prevent-staining
2. https://www.nidcr.nih.gov/research/data-statistics/periodontal-disease
3. https://www.aacrfoundation.org/Science/Pages/assessing-gum-disease-cancer-risk.aspx
