Many, if not most of us have brushed our teeth regularly at least twice a day, floss daily, and rinse our mouth with mouthwash after each brush. If all of them are good enough, do I still need a dentist from North York Smile Centre to clean my teeth professionally?
Professional dental cleaning hass many benefits that are not covered by regular oral hygiene practices like brushing or flossing, some of them can save you from more severe problems in the future, and thus saving your money in the long run—not to mention saving you from pain and discomfort caused by various diseases.
Below, we will discuss some of these benefits.
Preventing Tooth Decay and Damages
What is actually the main reason of decaying tooth? There are two main reasons, both related to the accumulating food debris within your mouth.
First, when we eat foods and drinks with high sugar, our saliva will release a certain enzyme to deconstruct the sugar, which will in turn, create acids. High acidity levels in your mouth can damage your teeth and gums, and this is why we tend to get tooth decay when we eat a lot of ice creams and candies.
Second, food debris can accumulate to create plaque, which is a thick, sticky layer of bacteria that covers our teeth. These bacteria can damage the teeth and gums, and when not cleaned, can develop into a tartar buildup, which is even more dangerous.
Plaque and high acidity levels in your mouth can be easily cleaned with regular brushing and flossing, but we can’t remove tartar buildup the same way. Also, we can’t effectively clean all the areas in your mouth with regular brushing, for example, the area between the gums and teeth. This is where a professional dental cleaning is necessary.
A dental cleaning procedure will effectively remove plaque and tartar buildup, along with other damaging residue.
Restoring or Even Improving Your Smile
One of the biggest reasons of getting your teeth cleaned is cosmetic: your smile will look a lot better after the cleaning procedure. Tartar buildup will give your teeth yellow-ish or even dark brown stains, and you can’t remove it with regular brushing.
Brushing can remove most buildup from the surfaces of your teeth, but will often leave the residue between your teeth, near the gum line, and in the spaces between your gums and teeth. This remaining plaque buildup can still develop into tartar and stains.
With a professional dental cleaning, you can get a naturally white teeth that are as bright as possible, improving your natural smile.
Eliminates Bad Breath
Removing food debris and plaque from your teeth, plaque, tongue, and mouth will get rid of bacteria that can cause bad breath. Having a fresher breath can significantly improve your confidence, and can possibly generate positive impact on your social relationships.
After a professional dental cleaning, you also get the fresh sensation of smooth teeth and fresh mouth, just like what you’ll get after a toothbrush, but will linger a lot longer.
Preventing Gum Diseases
Gum diseases can be very painful and can be hard to treat when it’s already developed. Some of the gum diseases like gingivitis can be quite expensive to treat, and more costly than getting a professional teeth cleaning.
Gum diseases are often caused by plaque buildup under the gums, on the spaces that can’t be reached by regular brushing or flossing. To clean this area, your dentist will use a special tool to clean the area under the gumline. If necessary, local anesthetic will be applied so you won’t feel any pain during the process.
Various gum infections can also be caused by bacterial buildup, and while infections can easily be treated with over-the-counter medications and prescription drugs, it’s better to prevent it rather than deal with discomfort and pain.
In short, a professional dental cleaning procedure is a preventional effort that can save more money in the long run.
Less Chance of Receding Gums
Gum recession is the medical term to describe the process of how the gum tissue pulls away, exposing more of the teeth and even a tooth’s root. This condition can obviously be aesthetically unpleasant, but there are also medical disadvantages.
Bacteria can easily accumulates in the new gap formed between the teeth and gum line. This can encourage various conditions from tooth decay and cavities to gum diseases. If left untreated, the surrounding gum tissue and even the bone structure of your jaw and teeth can be damaged, often resulting in tooth loss.
One of the most common causes for receding gums is infection caused by bacterial buildup that destroys the gum tissue, and professional cleaning can minimize the risk. Dental cleaning can remove plaque—and bacteria— especially from below the gum line.
Easier To Spot Present Health Issues
After plaque, tartar, and stains are removed from the teeth, it will be easier to spot any damage and health issues of the teeth and gums. Tiny tooth decays are often hidden under the plaque, as well as enamel cracks and other issues that are not easily discoverable.
Issues to gums, tongue, and mouth tissues are also often detected during and after the cleaning procedure. One of the key areas that is observed by the dental specialist is discoloration. Gum and tongue discoloration can be a sign for underlying health issues, including severe ones like diabetes or oral cancer.
For example, if during the cleaning procedure the dentist observed a white discoloration on the tongue, they might examine the area further after the cleaning process is completed. In this case, whiteness on the tongue can develop to oral cancer, and so by conducting early tests, we can prevent it from happening.
Earlier detection of various health issues—both oral and non-oral— will save you from future pain and expensive medical treatments.
End Words
With all the benefits, it is important to schedule regular dental cleaning appointments at least twice a year (every six months). Depending on your dentist, the appointment will usually include a regular dental check-up, where the dentist will check your oral health and determine the needs for future treatments.
