How Often Should Routine Dental Exams and Cleaning Take Place?
Dental exams and cleanings in Bryn Mawr have a great role in dental health and also influence your overall health. Dentists always recommend professional teeth cleaning twice yearly to reduce tooth decay and gum disease risk.
Unfortunately, some people skip dental cleanings because many have busy lifestyles and worry that teeth cleanings take a long. The good news is teeth cleaning doesn’t take as long as one might think.
Flossing and brushing are essential to oral health. They help remove bacteria, food debris, and plaque that cause tooth decay and gum disease. In addition, bacteria in your mouth feed on starch and sugar in your food to produce acid that damages tooth enamel.
Food particles also combine with saliva to create bacteria-rich plaque, a clear sticky film found at the surface of your teeth. Flossing and brushing help remove plaque and bacteria easily.
If plaque is not removed for some time, it combines with minerals in the saliva to form tartar. Unlike having plaque, which is easy to remove, tartar is a hard substance that sticks to your teeth. Tartar builds up between the gum line and your teeth. This is where it inflames and irritates gums to cause disease.
After some time, pockets might develop between the gums and the teeth, which provides a rich environment for bacterial growth below the gum line. Acids from the bacteria attack the tissue and bone that holds the teeth in place, which might lead to tooth loss.
Unfortunately, tartar cannot be removed at home, so one needs professional dental cleaning to remove it.
What are Dental Exams and Cleaning?
A dentist performs dental exams and cleanings to help remove any buildup on your gums and teeth. It helps keep the teeth healthy and prevents major problems with your teeth in the future.
A dental exam includes a cleaning by a dentist or a dental hygienist, having x-rays on certain visits, and having a checkup of your mouth.
How Dental Exams and Cleanings are Important
The dentist in Bryn Mawr recommends routine checkups at least twice a year due to several reasons that include:
- To get rid of tartar and plaque
Plaque removal helps prevent gingivitis and cavities and gingivitis. Plaque is found on the teeth’s surface, particularly on your gum line. Failure to remove plaque combines with saliva to form tartar which is a hard substance. Tartar can lead to tooth loss, discoloration, or a decrease in the gum line. Unfortunately, it can also lead to tooth decay and gum disease.
Even though one flosses and brushes their teeth regularly, they might have challenges accessing all areas of the teeth. That is why one needs a dental exam and cleaning. It helps a cosmetic dentist near you access the tight spots between the teeth and the back of the mouth.
- To examine gums and general oral health
Dental exams and cleaning allow the dentist to evaluate your teeth and gums and any risk of gingivitis, including inflammation and tenderness. In addition, dental cleaning help identifies defective dental fillings and trouble spots prone to bleeding.
- It helps in teeth polishing
Your cosmetic dentist polishes your teeth to prevent tooth decay and get rid of bad breath during your dental cleaning appointment. Any weak spot in the enamel and decay during teeth polishing is dealt with.
How Long Does a Cleaning take?
The cleaning takes 30-60 minutes. However, some factors can influence how much time a dental cleaning will take. The factors include
- Your dental health
- Your teeth condition
- The experience that your dental team have
So if your gums and teeth are healthy and free from gum disease, your dental examination and cleaning with our dentist at The Dental Spa Main Line will be short. However, the appointment might be longer if you have difficulty removing tartar or if you have gum disease.
The condition of one’s teeth will affect the time required for professional dental cleaning. For example, if your teeth are decayed or broken, they will be more difficult to clean and may require more time.
Also, the experience of your dental team plays an important role. For example, an experienced pediatric dentist will remove your tartar safely and quickly.