When you’re not experiencing problems with your teeth or gums, scheduling a professional dental cleaning may seem like an unnecessary inconvenience. You’re not alone if you procrastinate on this routine dental procedure. Despite recommendations that regular dental cleanings can preserve your teeth, 100 million Americans don’t see a dentist every year.
Professional dental cleanings involve more than making your teeth feel clean. While these procedures may seem like an annoyance, twice-annual professional dental cleanings can save you time by avoiding complex oral conditions that require multiple office visits to correct.
Dentists George Kontoveros, DMD, and Anthony Klobas, DMD, of 2K Dental, provide professional dental cleanings that include a thorough assessment of your oral health. The team at 2K Dental also works to protect your overall wellness by examining your mouth for signs of other health conditions during your dental cleaning.
Having your teeth professionally cleaned can make a difference to your well-being in many ways. Here are just five of the many crucial benefits of having professional dental cleanings.
While brushing twice daily and flossing regularly are the foundations of good oral health, only a dental professional can determine whether your routine protects you against tooth loss and gum disease. Since the early stages of tooth decay can occur without symptoms, a professional dental cleaning involves assessing the health of your teeth and gums.
A thorough visual examination with a small handheld mirror allows your dentist to examine areas that are less visible, such as the inside surfaces of your teeth and your rear molars. Routine dental X-rays help your dentist assess the interior condition of your teeth, tooth roots, and gums.
In addition to an examination, a professional cleaning provides a deep cleaning that isn’t possible at home. It includes the removal of plaque, a sticky film of bacteria, and food debris that forms on your teeth. Removing plaque before it hardens into tartar, a yellow or brown-colored deposit, is necessary to prevent cavities and gum disease.
Your dental professional may apply a fluoride varnish over your teeth after your professional cleaning. This can help serve as protection from tooth decay for a few months.
Professional dental cleaning involves maintaining the health of your entire mouth. Gum disease can often develop and worsen without symptoms. To ensure your gums remain healthy enough to support your teeth, the dental staff examines your gums for signs of gum health, including firmness, bleeding, and gum recession.
The earliest stage of gum disease, called gingivitis, can progress to gum disease when the original problem isn’t treated appropriately. The condition can let your gums recede from your teeth, destroy bone, and make your teeth fall out.
Your risk for gum disease is determined by using a small ruler called a periodontal probe to measure the depth of the space between your gums and teeth. Depths deeper than 4 mm are usually defined as gum disease.
A professional examination of your teeth and gums can provide evidence of bad habits damaging your mouth. Signs of teeth grinding, brushing too hard, smoking or chewing tobacco, or using your teeth as tools are obvious during a professional examination.
When they recognize problems, the staff at 2K Dental discusses your issues and ways to avoid damaging your teeth by correcting bad habits or getting appropriate treatment.
About 54,000 Americans are diagnosed with oral or oropharyngeal cancer annually. This group of diseases doesn’t always cause symptoms in the early stages, so they can occur silently until they spread to another part of your body and require more complex treatment.
Signs of oral cancer may include red or white patches or other growths, which can develop under your tongue or behind your teeth where you may not detect them.
Your professional dental cleaning at 2K Dental includes an oral cancer screening. This visual examination assesses your palate, lips, cheeks, gums, tongue, the floor of your mouth, head, and neck for signs of oral cancer.
The visual examination of your teeth and gums can reveal potentially life-saving evidence of health conditions affecting your physical well-being.
Oral symptoms such as bad breath, mouth ulcers, swollen gums, or dry mouth occur with many systemic conditions. Problems in your mouth may indicate conditions such as thyroid disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, or heart disease.
Having professional dental cleanings performed twice annually can protect the well-being of your mouth and body. Call our office in Parma, Akron, or Cleveland, Ohio, today to arrange a consultation.
