Most people are well aware that routine dental cleanings and checkups, typically recommended to occur every 6 months, are crucial for long-term dental health. However, despite this awareness, it is easy for people to lose track of time or even intentionally put off their cleanings and checkups. This is particularly true if the person isn’t experiencing pain in any teeth and doesn’t have any visible problems. However, as innocent as it may seem, delaying or skipping cleanings and checkups can seriously jeopardize oral health.
The Importance of Routine Cleanings
Even with meticulous daily brushing and flossing it is impossible for people to clean their teeth as thoroughly as occurs during a professional cleaning. That is because tartar, which is mineralized plaque, is resistant to brushing and flossing and can develop in spite of these essential basics in oral care. Additionally many of the areas where plaque builds up and where cavities may form are hard to reach with conventional brushing and flossing.
The experience of a professional cleaning, as performed by a qualified dental hygienist utilizing a number of very effective procedures and specialized equipment, simply cannot be replicated at home. For example tooth scaling is performed with dental tools like periodontal scalers and periodontal curettes and is highly effective at removing tartar, especially in conjunction with dental debridement, which utilizes ultrasonic tools to help loosen the plaque and calculus present on teeth. Additionally tooth polishing, performed with motorized rubber cups and an abrasive polishing compound, help to smooth the tooth’s surface and prevent the reformation of tartar.
The Benefits of Routine Cleanings:
- Much more thorough than regular brushing and flossing
- Controls bacteria that could damage teeth and gums
- Improves gum health
- Fights bad breath
- Easy, relatively fast, and pain free!
The Importance of Checkups and Exams
Cleanings are only half of the equation, however. Routine dental checkups and exams are also imperative for maintained dental health. During the checkup your dentist will carefully check for cavities – which may not yet be causing any pain or symptoms – and will also check the integrity of existing dental work such as fillings, crowns, and bridges, which naturally begin to wear out over time. Additionally X-rays may be taken to more thoroughly examine the teeth and detect any problems before they worsen.
Cleanings and Checkups at Weaver-Jaynes DDS
At Weaver-Jaynes we are dedicated to helping our patients improve and maintain their oral health with routine cleanings and checkups. We take your oral care very seriously and will take the time to thoroughly discuss the condition of your teeth and what can be done to treat any and all problems. We will also do our best to ensure that you are relaxed and comfortable during the procedure.