The general rule of preventive dental care is to visit your dentist for a routine dental checkup and cleaning at least once every six months. While most patients adhere to this rule, they don’t always follow the advice, skipping an appointment or two to make time for other obligations. Other patients might not take the advice seriously at all, never visiting the dentist until a serious dental issue arises. Today, we explain why routine dental checkups and cleanings are necessary to keep your smile healthy and beautiful, from controlling harmful oral bacteria to searching for signs that your eye can’t see.
The Point of Professional Dental Care
Controlling the Advancement of Plaque
A healthy human mouth contains more than just teeth, gums, and a tongue. Among the oral tissues and structures, hundreds of different kinds of oral bacteria live, grow, and multiply on a daily basis. When you brush and floss your teeth twice every day, you can largely control this bacterial population and the protective film of plaque they form. However, when plaque remains for more than a day or two, it will calcify, or harden, into tartar, which is insoluble and cannot be broken down and removed with a toothbrush, toothpaste, and water. During a dental cleaning, your hygienist will use professional equipment and a skillful touch to clean away stubborn tartar and plaque deposits, reducing your risk of a bacteria-induced condition, like tooth decay or gum disease.
Detecting Subtle Signs of Trouble
While removing plaque and tartar removes the threat of a dental health issue, a dental cleaning can do little to treat an issue that has already developed by the time you visit. As the second part of your routine visit, a dental checkup will allow us to thoroughly inspect your teeth, gums, oral tissues, jaw and bite alignment, and more to determine if further treatment is required. When caught early, most issues can be reversed before extensive damage occurs, and routine dental checkups reduce your chances of needing a complex restorative dental procedure.
ABOUT YOUR BUTLER, PA, DENTIST:
Dr. Keelan and our dedicated team at Keelan Dental offer patients the comfortable, convenient dental care that everyone needs and deserves. To schedule an initial consultation, or your next dental appointment, call our office in Butler, PA at (724) 285-4153. We proudly welcome patients of all ages from Butler, Cranberry Township, Mars, Pittsburgh, Butler County, and all surrounding communities.