“Why get more than one dental cleaning per year? I have good oral hygiene and brush my teeth after every meal. Shouldn’t I be fine?”
There’s more to your routine dental checkup than a routine cleaning. Brushing and flossing your teeth regularly do help to keep your teeth and gums healthy. However, the bacteria which cause plaque and tartar build-up like to live below the gum-line. The only person that can clean under the gum-line is your dental hygienist. If you skip your six month cleaning, the bacteria that your hygienist would normally clean out continue to infect the gums, potentially causing them to become red, puffy, and swollen with gingivitis. Left untreated, this infection can lead to a more serious deterioration of your oral health. We encourage our patients to keep their six-month cleaning appointments for this very reason. We are committed to helping you maintain the comfort, health, and appearance of your smile for life. In addition, we know that gum disease affects more than just your mouth. It may affect your general health in the following ways: oral cancer, stroke, heart disease, pregnancy complications, respiratory infections, uncontrolled diabetes, dementia/Alzheimers, severe osteopenia, and more. For these reasons, we encourage our patients to keep their six month cleaning appointments. It may even save your life.