The Consequences of Missing Your Professional Teeth Cleaning

The American Dental Association recommends professional teeth cleaning at intervals determined by your dentist. Some people will need to visit the dentist more often, some less often. It all depends on you and your unique smile! A general rule is that every six months, you should be visiting your Asheville dental practice to get your teeth cleaned and ensure your smile is healthy and strong.

During this cleaning, your dentist in Asheville can also point out areas that you’ve been missing while brushing or flossing and conduct an oral health exam to identify any problems with your smile.

Your teeth are meant to last your entire life making the time twice a year to see the dentist may feel like too often, but when you consider the risks of missing your professional cleaning, you’ll feel differently about taking the time to make your Asheville dentist appointment!

What are some of the consequences of missing your professional teeth cleaning?

Increased Risk for Tooth Decay

How often do you check your smile for tooth decay?

Cavities start small and are often difficult if not impossible to notice in your own mouth. Having a professional dentist in Asheville closely examine your teeth during your cleaning appointment helps to identify cavities before they progress.

Small cavities can be predictably restored with non-mercury fillings that can last many years.  However, if not treated, cavities will get bigger and can eventually become so large that a filling will not be sufficient to restore the tooth to normal form and function.  By not catching and treating the problem early you risk needing more expensive and time consuming treatment.

Getting your teeth professionally cleaned will remove the built-up plaque that contains the bacteria that causes tooth decay. If you have any cavities, Dr. Saunders can identify them and talk with you about your restorative options to save your natural tooth!

Progressive Gum Disease

Gum disease isn’t always easy to spot especially if you don’t know the symptoms.

Your teeth may look fine, but if you experience bad breath, bleeding during brushing, or sensitive teeth, you could have gum disease. Gum disease can be progressive if not treated and eventually cause bigger problems than just bad breath or sensitive teeth!

When gum disease is present, you may experience red, irritated, and swollen gums. If left untreated, gum disease will eventually effect the supporting bone that keeps your teeth firmly rooted in your jaw.  Eventually,  there will be a significant infection that can cause the loose of the tooth.

Your Asheville dentist is an expert at identifying the signs of early gum disease. The earlier you catch gum disease, the easier it is to treat. By visiting your Asheville dental practice twice a year for professional cleanings, you can help prevent gum disease as well as treat it before it becomes a big problem!

Miss the Signs of Oral Cancer

Over 48,000 Americans will be diagnosed with oral cancer this year alone! Like many other types of cancer, oral cancer is easier to treat when it’s identified early. An oral cancer screening is a simple exam that can be performed while you’re in the office for your professional cleaning at your dentist office.

During this screening, your dentist will check for any lumps in your face or neck, examine the inside of your mouth and cheeks for sores or discolorations, and ask you questions about your risk factors for oral cancer, including smoking. Smoking is one of the top risk factors for oral cancer that is also the most preventable!

Missing your professional cleaning also means you could be missing an expert look at your mouth that could identify oral cancer before it has a chance to become life-threatening. Know your risk for oral cancer and talk to Dr. Saunders about an oral cancer screening when you come in for your professional teeth cleaning!

Chance for Tooth Loss

Losing a tooth means you’ll need a cosmetic replacement that is often a more expensive and time consuming treatment.  Furthermore, although dentistry has come a long way, nothing is as good as your natural teeth (however dental implants are a good replacement option).

Although over 178 million Americans are missing one or more of their natural teeth, losing teeth isn’t a normal consequence of the aging process. You can often prevent tooth loss simply by keeping up with your oral health.

Missing teeth also affect your smile more than you think learn more about the consequences of missing teeth for your smile!  The good news is that you can increase the likelihood of keeping all of your teeth and keeping them as healthy as possible by visiting your Asheville dentist service at regular intervals.

Threaten Your Heart Health

Research links heart health to oral health what this means is that scientists have found the same bacteria that exists in the plaque in your mouth colonizing the build-up of plaque in our arteries.  It is possible that this bacteria can damage blood vessel walls increasing our risk of blood clots and leading to heart disease!  It turns our that people with untreated gum disease are more at risk because they have more of the harmful type of bacteria present and, due to their inflamed gum tissue, there is more opportunity for the bacteria to enter the bloodstream.

By visiting your dentist, you can ensure your mouth is healthy as well as potentially protect your heart health just by getting your teeth cleaned! Some people are more at risk for having gum disease, as a result of their genetics, than other people this makes it even more important to visit your dentist to ensure your teeth are clean and healthy!

Your dentist in Asheville can also talk to you about your physical health and encourage you to assess your risk factors for chronic disease, both oral and non-oral, including smoking, drinking alcohol frequently, and eating sugar in excess.

When was the last time you visited your dentist in Asheville for a professional teeth cleaning? When you miss your teeth cleanings, you miss out on preventing major oral health issues like tooth decay and gum disease. You also increase your chances for tooth loss and risk missing the signs of oral cancer.

Getting your teeth cleaned and examined twice a year (or as recommended by your dentist) can also help encourage heart health and keep you motivated to take care of your teeth as well as your physical health. Talk to your dentist in Asheville to schedule an appointment to get you teeth cleaned and prevent oral disease!

Call us at (828) 277-6060 to schedule your appointment for teeth cleaning services and preserve a healthy smile today!