There are many reasons for a person to get a teeth cleaning procedure done. One of the most obvious is to help keep their smile looking healthy and white. While this is only a superficial reason, the main reason to get a teeth cleaning procedure done at a dentist is for your teeth’ health. Over time, teeth can wear down and become fragile. A teeth cleaning procedure helps to strengthen your teeth as well as clean them.
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The Reason for Cleanings
While regular brushing and flossing are good habits, they can’t always get teeth 100% clean. Brushing will be able to knock away particles of food and other deposits, while flossing can get between the teeth for the same purpose. The problem is they can miss deposits along the gum line or between teeth, making it essential for a dentist to perform a full dental cleaning to remove them. If these deposits remain, they can lead to tooth decay and other health risks.
Going to a dentist when you need your teeth cleaned will help keep your teeth healthy and cut down on various conditions that can develop from plaque. Not only can plaque cause enamel loss on teeth, but it can also cause severe tooth decay over time and gingivitis in the gum line around the teeth.
Can Children Benefit From Cleanings?
Adults are not the only ones that should have dental cleanings performed regularly. Children can benefit more than adults since they often eat more candy and junk food than adults do. This can lead to a lot of plaque and the chance for cavities at a young age. Cavities can hurt a lot, especially if they break the tooth enamel down enough to expose the nerve inside. A pediatric dentist can help ensure this doesn’t happen, and make sure the child’s baby teeth grow in properly and remain healthy. Some more information on pediatric dentistry can be found here with more details.
Pediatric dentists will have the skill and knowledge to work with younger patients. They will help make the child comfortable during the procedure, and many offer sedation procedures to help children who have anxieties or other health conditions that can make it challenging to work with during procedures. They will work with the parents to help ensure the procedure can be performed safely for their child. They can also help educate the child on proper dental care for future oral health.
Benefits for Adults
Children are not the only ones that need to care for their dental health. Adults should regularly visit a dentist to help preserve their teeth. Children have the benefit of two sets of teeth: their baby teeth and their adult teeth. Adults only get one shot at keeping their teeth healthy, and once they become too damaged, they will need replacements like dentures or implants. To avoid invasive dental work, patients should have regular dental cleanings to ensure their teeth’ longevity.
Over time enamel will wear down in adults without the possibility of replacement. Dental cleanings can help strengthen the enamel they do have, preventing cavities from forming in their teeth. Most dentists will recommend adults get their dental cleanings done regularly twice a year. Such cleanings can help prolong their teeth as long as they remember to brush, floss, and rinse in between these cleanings. Without this in-between dental care, dental cleanings will have a harder time strengthening a tooth’s enamel due to more wear and tear happening to it between cleanings.
Consequences of Bad Dental Hygiene
The most common consequence of not having teeth cleaned regularly are cavities. Cavities form when the enamel is no longer strong enough to protect a tooth. The enamel will break off and form a cavity in the tooth, which is a small hole or crack in most cases. These cavities can start to widen over time if not taken care of with a filling, causing more damage to the tooth and risking the health of the patient by collecting deposits and plaque inside them. This excess build-up will not only cause the cavity to widen over time; it will also risk health issues to the nerve inside the tooth and the gum line around it. This can lead to gingivitis in the gum, which is a receding of the protective gum around the tooth, making it no longer capable of properly holding onto the tooth.
When a tooth gets broken down too severely due to plaque and cavities, several repair methods can help save the tooth. Fillings can be placed inside the cavity to stop it from getting bigger. For more severe breakage, a crown can be placed over the tooth once it has been filed down and built back up with dental work. In the most severe cases, however, the tooth may need to be extracted entirely. Implants and dental bridges can then be used to replace the missing tooth. Check out this website for more detailed information on dental implants and other dental procedures that can help with severe tooth decay.
Keep Your Teeth Healthy and Bright
No matter how busy a person’s schedule can get with work, school, or even family, it’s imperative for them to take the time for proper dental hygiene. That includes more than just a quick brush and floss when they feel their teeth are dirty. It also means watching what they eat and drink. Liquids like coffee and soda can slowly decay teeth enamel over time, just like candy and junk food intake can. Watching their diet, performing proper cleaning habits after every meal, and having a dentist perform a dental cleaning twice a year can help ensure a long and healthy life for their teeth.
A word to the wise. Don’t take your teeth for granted. Minimize the risk to them and ensure they are well taken care of with the right dental hygiene procedures. Not only will your smile be bright and beautiful, but your teeth will also be healthy and strong.
