Life is busy for most of us. Between work and family obligations, finding time to get a dental cleaning can slip down on your priority list. But keeping up with regular dental cleanings is essential for maintaining your oral health.
Dental cleanings do more than just keep your smile looking its best. They also help your mouth stay healthy and allow your dentist to monitor possible problems. Dr. Thomas Sokoly of Sokoly Dental offers this helpful guide about the benefits of regular dental cleanings.
Regular dental cleanings keep your teeth in their most attractive shape. Even with excellent dental hygiene habits such as brushing and flossing your teeth regularly, plaque still builds up on your teeth’s enamel. This plaque can dull your smile, among other things.
If you’re one of the many people who feel self-conscious about having bad breath, regular checkups can help with this, too. The bacteria in your mouth can lead to bad breath over time. Getting a cleaning and removing those bacteria can freshen up your breath.
Dental cavities, also known as dental caries, can happen to anyone. If you’re lax at all in your dental hygiene, such as forgetting to floss a couple of times a week, you’re at a greater risk for cavities. But cavities get worse when you ignore them, which could mean having to get a filling or undergoing a more invasive procedure.
Regular dental checkups make those cavities less likely to occur in the first place. But even if you do get one while having regular checkups, they’re more likely to be caught while they’re still small, and your dentist can fix them easily.
Did you know that your oral health can often be a sign of your overall physical health? Much like your family doctor looks for potential trouble spots, Dr. Sokoly does the same. Dental cleanings also include screenings for certain types of cancer, including throat, mouth, and neck cancer.
Poor dental health can also lead to other health problems. You can inhale bacteria that can lead to pneumonia. The same bacteria can damage your heart as well. In addition, if you have diabetes, dental checkups are especially important because diabetes makes dental infections more likely to occur.
Gum disease, or gingivitis, can become a big problem. Your gum tissue pulls away from your teeth, creating room for bacteria to grow and eventually spread throughout your body. Left untreated, bacteria from gum disease can lead to heart disease and stroke. Gum disease can even lead to tooth loss.
Regular dental checkups keep an eye on the health of your gums as part of the overall screening. Dr. Sokoly can tell if you’re developing early signs of gum disease, which is often reversible with improved dental hygiene practices and more frequent visits to remove plaque.
Another benefit of regular dental checkups is that they can save you money in the long-term. A bit of prevention can save you from dental repairs that involve far more time (and money) than a cleaning.
Make an investment in your future dental health with regular maintenance now. Taking care of your teeth is just as important as maintaining your car, if not more so. And a little bit of an inconvenience now can prevent bigger problems down the road.
If you would like to schedule a dental cleaning, contact Sokoly Dental by calling us at 202-280-2428 or requesting an appointment online.
