Importance of professional dental cleanings and examinations

Professional dental cleanings are important for maintaining your dental health. Professional cleaning, or prophylaxis, helps to get rid of plaque and tartar buildup on and between your teeth, especially in areas that your toothbrush can’t reach, thus preventing the onset of dental diseases. 

During your dental checkup, your dentist will examine your entire mouth, looking for signs of tooth decay or damage. Your dentist will also check your gums for signs of inflammation or disease. Additionally, your dentist will thoroughly examine your teeth for signs of damage, decay, or misalignment.

Why are professional dental cleanings and examinations important?

Here are the major benefits of professional dental cleanings and examinations

• Prevents pain

When cavities are left untreated, it can lead to infection and toothache. These painful conditions can be minimized with regular checkups and cleanings.

• Prevents dental diseases

Your dentist can spot early signs of disease during a routine checkup. This can help you prevent the spread of disease to other areas of the mouth. Plus, regular exams and cleanings reduce your risk for gum disease and tooth decay.

• Prevents tooth loss

Tooth loss is a serious problem. In fact, it is a serious problem that impacts approximately 178 million Americans. While the leading cause of tooth loss is gum disease, a close second is tooth decay.

The good news is that tooth decay is completely preventable. It all starts with how you take care of your teeth. Brushing and flossing your teeth regularly, along with visiting your dentist for regular checkups and professional teeth cleanings, can help to prevent tooth decay from ever being an issue.

• Maintains a healthy smile

Your regular checkups and cleaning appointments are crucial for your oral health. These appointments allow your dentist to:

- Discover any dental issues early on, while they’re easily treatable

- Reduce your risk of tooth decay and gum disease

- Improve the appearance of your smile

- Help you avoid the need for more complex dental procedures in the future

• Saves money in the long run

There are several ways that regular checkups and cleanings save you money.

First, they help you identify and treat any dental problems early on. This will prevent the need for complicated treatments later on.

Second, they can help you prevent painful and costly dental emergencies. This is important because dental emergencies can lead to lost work time, expensive restorative procedures, and more.

• Improves confidence

Dental health can make a huge impact on our confidence. There are many things we can do to improve our smile, from whitening to cosmetic treatments. However, when oral health is neglected, it can negatively affect our confidence levels.

• Keeps your jaw healthy

As part of your regular checkup, we will examine your mouth for signs of gum disease. This is a common condition in which your gums become inflamed and infected. If left untreated, the disease can lead to tooth loss. By catching gum disease early, we can treat it and help you avoid tooth loss.

• Improves your overall health

When plaque and tartar buildup on teeth, they can contribute to gum disease. This disease can weaken your immune system, leading to issues in other parts of your body. Regular checkups and cleanings can help detect gum disease early on before it has a chance to do major damage.

We recommend patients see the dentist every six months for a routine checkup and cleaning. This helps them identify dental issues like cavities and gum disease in the early stages when they are easier and less expensive to treat. At your checkup, your dentist will also perform an oral cancer screening, as well as a visual screening for any signs of oral cancer.

Call us at 636-532-2101 or schedule an appointment online to consult our dentist at Licata Dental.