What Is The Importance of Regular Teeth Cleaning?

With COVID-19 stopping all but emergency dentist appointments, your regular oral hygiene checks came to a halt!

With this in mind, it is now the right time to get your teeth cleaned.

Dentists are not just for keeping your teeth bright; they have a direct and significant impact on your general health. Bad oral hygiene has been linked to serious, and in some cases, life threatening diseases such as strokes and cancer (for more information visit the importance of regular checkups blog).

While maintaining good dental hygiene (brushing your teeth twice a day and flossing) is important, having an expert to inspect your teeth can help in numerous ways. In fact, your teeth may look and feel healthy, but there may be underlying issues that only a dentist can detect. Regular dental checkups and cleaning procedures can mitigate any problems you may have, or just provide that additional reassurance that your teeth are healthy.

To provide further insight into teeth cleaning benefits, here are a list of reasons why professional cleaning is essential. These include:

Prevent gum disease

Regular teeth cleanings can help prevent the onset of periodontal disease, an inflammation of the gums, typically caused as a result of poor brushing and flossing habits.

As our mouths are full of bacteria, along with mucus and other oral particles, plaque can form on the teeth. Subsequently, brushing and flossing daily can help prevent plaque from forming on tooth enamel. However, plaque that is not removed can harden and form tartar. Only a professional cleaning by a dentist or dental hygienist can remove this from forming on the teeth.

Typically, a dentist can examine your gums when cleaning your teeth and detect any signs of inflammation. They may use a tiny ruler called a probe to check for and measure any pockets around the teeth, with a healthy mouth containing a pocket depth of around 1 to 3 millimeters. Without seeking professional cleaning, tartar and plague could go undetected, resulting in gum disease, which can lead to complications.

Removes stains that dull or discolor teeth 

Your smile is important. In fact, it is the first thing someone notices when they speak to you. Consequently, having discolored or stained teeth can severely affect your confidence, preventing you from showing them off in social situations.

A dentist can restore that confidence and provide you with a cleaner smile. They do this in a safe and cautious manner, unlike home whitening remedies which may damage your teeth and harm tooth enamel.

They are covered

Many dental plans cover regular cleanings as it is in the insurers’ interests for their patients to have their oral health looked after, to prevent future expensive dental treatments.

Although, even without dental insurance, a professional clean is not an expensive procedure, particularly in comparison to other cosmetic treatments. You will also benefit in the long run from both a financial and health perspective by receiving cleaning treatments. Here at Procopio Towle Dental Office, we offer our annual In-House Dental Membership, for those who do not have dental insurance. Our In-House Dental Membership is a prepaid membership dental savings plan. Click here to for more details on our In-House Dental Membership.

Additionally, a patient's oral health will differ from one another. Factors such as genetics, diets and lifestyle play a fundamental role in the overall well-being of your teeth. A dentist or a hygienist can provide you with a personalized plan on how to maintain good oral habits after the procedure, so that you can have a healthier and brighter smile for a prolonged period of time.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Procopio Towle Dental Office at (925) 933-5677.