Why Are Dental Dams and Cleanings Essential?
Do you think your dentist-recommended dental exam and cleaning is a waste of time and money because you maintain excellent dental hygiene? Perhaps you don’t realize why your dentist suggested having your mouth examined and teeth cleaned by professionals every six months or at least once a year. The neglect confirms you don’t understand why a dental exam and cleaning near you is essential for preventive care. Therefore we suggest you read this article to clarify your thoughts and seek an evaluation of your mouth as soon as possible.
The Importance of Dental Exam and Cleaning
Dental exams and cleanings are neither a waste of time nor your money because the straightforward and non-invasive procedure by the dentist helps prevent many dental issues you think don’t exist in your mouth. You could be maintaining excellent dental hygiene, brushing and flossing your teeth, and even refraining from harmful foods and beverages harmful to your teeth. However, are you confident you are going a thorough job with brushing and flossing? If you are unaware, please understand there are areas of your mouth where your toothbrush doesn’t reach, and neither can dental floss. In addition, specks of plaque remaining on and between your teeth can harden into tartar to make you prone to tooth decay and gum disease. Hardened tartar is practically impossible to remove unless you visit the nearby dentist for an exam and cleaning.
Types of Dental Examination
When you schedule your appointment for dental prophylaxis, you first undergo a dental exam before cleaning. The examination is not stressful and merely requires you to sit in the dentist’s chair with your mouth open. The dentist performing the exam looks at your teeth and gums for tooth decay and gum disease signs. They also take x-rays of your mouth to determine whether micro-cavities exist between your teeth, remaining invisible to the naked eye. The professional also examines other parts of your oral cavity such as your tongue, neck, cheeks, jaws, neck, et cetera. You may think the dentist has no business examining areas of your mouth other than your teeth and gums. However, the following information will shock you out of your wits.
The dental examination process also includes evaluating your mouth to detect signs of oral cancer you think don’t exist. The dentist also thinks similarly but examines your mouth for signs of precancerous and cancerous lesions that, if detected early, are comfortably treatable and deliver optimal outcomes. For example, the evaluation proves beneficial if you are at high risk of oral cancer with habits like smoking, excessive exposure to sunlight, using alcohol or other drugs frequently, and have undergone earlier oral cancer diagnoses. The entire procedure is essential preventive care required to ensure your mouth and teeth, besides your overall health, are not affected by any conditions.
Why Do You Need Dental Cleaning?
You may brush and floss your teeth regularly without exceptions. However, as mentioned earlier, specks of plaque tend to remain on your teeth and between them in the difficult-to-reach areas of your mouth where your toothbrush and dental floss cannot get them. Plaque hardens into tartar within a couple of days and is impossible to remove without professional help. Plaque and tartar are the leading causes of gum disease, a severe infection that can affect your jawbone and even result in tooth loss. It is why dental cleanings from a registered hygienist are essential, and you receive them after completing the dental exam.
When cleaning, the dental hygienist uses dental instruments like tiny mirrors and a scaler to look behind your teeth for plaque and tartar removal. If you have excessive tartar on your teeth, you receive a deep cleaning to eliminate any threats of gum disease.
After plaque and tartar removal, the hygienist polishes your teeth with gritty toothpaste for any plaque removal left behind during the initial cleaning. The polishing also gives you whiter-looking teeth before finally providing fluoride treatment to assist your battle against cavities for several months.
After the dental exam and cleaning, the dentist and hygienist discuss your oral health with you providing information on whether you need any restorations or make changes to your diet and lifestyle habits. The entire procedure takes approximately an hour. It depends on how long you have avoided this procedure that cares for your dental and overall health.
After reading this article, if you believe that dental exams and cleanings are essential, we are confident you will schedule an appointment with TLC Dental Care to undergo this non-invasive procedure to benefit your oral health.