The Importance of Regular Dental Cleanings

There’s no denying the importance of daily at-home oral care. Brushing, flossing, and avoiding sugary candy and drinks play a pivotal role in keeping your teeth and gums healthy. However, these things aren’t enough. To keep your smile looking bright, you also need regular dental cleanings. Here’s how you benefit from visiting the dentist twice a year.

Prevent Cavities

Plaque is your teeth’s worst enemy. This sticky, white film forms on your teeth every day. You remove most of it when you brush and floss, but some plaque invariably remains behind. This acidic substance eats away at tooth enamel and can lead to cavities. Professional cleanings remove residual plaque and help protect your smile for the next six months.

Lower Your Risk of Gum Disease

Plaque doesn’t just harm your teeth—it can also harden into tartar or calculus along the gum line, which irritates your gums and causes them to become red and inflamed. Tartar can only be removed by a dentist using professional cleaning tools and techniques. Doing so every six months is the key to keeping gum disease at bay.

Preserve Your Teeth

Cavities are a primary cause of tooth loss. Even if you can save the tooth with a filling or root canal, it’s never quite the same again. Gum disease also causes tooth loss. Advanced cases affect not only your gums but the bone that supports your teeth as well. If left untreated, your teeth could loosen and fall out. Good oral hygiene, including having regular cleanings, can prevent this.

Brighten Your Smile

Daily habits such as drinking coffee, tea, or wine and using tobacco can leave surface stains on your teeth. Dental cleaning and polishing remove these stains to help you smile with greater confidence.

Freshen Your Breath

Even if you brush and floss every day, plaque, tartar, and bacteria can still cling to your teeth. After six months, your mouth may start to feel a little less clean, even with proper at-home oral care. Professional dental cleaning is a great way to keep your mouth smelling fresh.

Promote Good Overall Health

When problems occur in your mouth, the effects can be seen throughout your body. Gum disease is associated with diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. Take good care of your mouth, and you may help keep these conditions at bay.

Save Money on Restorative Procedures

Preventative dentistry is convenient and affordable. If you have dental insurance, cleanings may even be free! It’s much more cost-effective to visit the dentist every six months for cleanings—and therefore keep gum disease, cavities, and other tooth problems at bay—than it is to skip cleanings and have to undergo restorative procedures as a result. Save money and protect your health with regular teeth cleanings!

Our goal at Glenwood Premier Dental is to keep your mouth healthy with preventative dentistry services. When that’s not possible, we can repair your smile with restorative dentistry. Find out more about these services—contact our Hazlet dentist at (732) 264-4477 today!