You may already know that the American Dental Association recommends that dental patients of all ages undergo professional dental cleanings every six months or so. Professional dental cleanings are indispensable in the world of preventive dentistry, and today our O’Fallon dentists are going to be giving you some more information about why this is the case. Why, exactly, do you need to keep up with your recommended schedule of cleanings?
First of all, it’s important to note that while semi-annual cleanings are the general recommendation from the ADA, some dental patients will need to follow a different schedule. Your dental team will let you know if you should adjust your timetable.
Here are some of the reasons that professional dental cleanings and appointments are so important:
Plaque and tartar: when plaque is able to sit on your smile for multiple days, it hardens and calcifies onto your dental enamel: this is called tartar. No matter how diligent we are about at-home oral hygiene, some plaque slips through the cracks and turns into tartar. You need a professional cleaning to remove tartar, so by keeping up with your regularly scheduled cleanings you are able to clear away tartar before it gets out of control.
Oral cancer screening: our dental team completes an oral cancer screening during every appointment. Because oral cancers often progress asymptomatically in their earliest stages, it is crucial that you have a professional assessing your oral health on a regular basis.
Prompt restorative care: as is the case with most things in life, in general, the earlier that you are able to correct dental damage, the easier, more convenient, and more affordable the treatment is. Regularly scheduled professional appointments empower you to get oral health issues diagnosed and treated before they get out of control.
Our O’Fallon dentists encourage you to schedule a professional appointment. Even if it has been years since you’ve been to the dentist…now is the time to get back on track! Call our dental team if you need any more information or guidance; we’re here to help!