Regular dental cleanings by a dental hygienist are an essential part of a patient’s dental health care. You should have your teeth professionally cleaned at your dentist’s office every six months. This will give you that awesome, smooth, clean teeth feeling and a little extra “sparkle and shine” when you smile. But have you ever wondered what the other benefits of your regular dental cleanings are? Read on to find out more!
1. A Dental Cleaning Goes Above and Beyond Your At-Home Dental Hygiene
Good at-home oral cleaning habits are essential to the health of your mouth. However, your mouth can receive a few extra benefits when your dental hygienist does a professional cleaning for you in the dental office. Your hygienist will remove hard deposits from your teeth, called calculus (not to be confused with that math class). This is something that healthy brushing and flossing at home cannot remove. The calculus is removed with special hand scaling and/or ultrasonic instruments.
2. A Dental Cleaning Helps Keep Your Teeth and Gums Healthy
Along with the removal of calculus, your hygienist will also do a thorough removal of soft deposits, called plaque, from the surfaces of your teeth. Plaque is a biofilm, and like calculus, can harbor bacteria that is harmful to the teeth and gums. The cleaning also helps keep your gums clean and healthy, which helps prevent deterioration of the gums, ligaments, and bone that surround and support your teeth. It is important to keep this group of structures, called the periodontium, clean and healthy, because it is like the foundation of a house – but for your teeth.
By removing any plaque and calculus buildup in your mouth, your hygienist is helping to keep your teeth and gums healthy!
3. A Dental Cleaning is Preventative
A dental cleaning is a great preventative measure that should be part of your regular healthy lifestyle. By keeping your teeth and gums clean, you are helping to prevent tooth decay, cavities, and gum disease, which means that you will also be working to prevent more extensive restorative dental care from becoming a necessity.
In addition to the benefits of having nice, clean teeth and gums, the prevention of tooth decay and gum disease is an added benefit to a patient’s overall health. Many recent studies are examining an observed correlation between dental disease and other health problems. One particular article by the American Dental Association says that, “Given the potential link between periodontitis and systemic health problems, prevention may be an important step in maintaining overall health.” So, make sure that you call our office today to schedule your next routine cleaning!
ADA Article: http://www.ada.org/~/media/ADA/Publications/Files/patient_61.ashx
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