If you have an at-home dental care routine, you may wonder if professional dental cleanings are worth the time and effort. After all, what can your dentist do for you that you can’t do at home? However, a dental cleaning every six months is crucial to your dental care, even with a perfect at-home care routine. Not only do regular dental visits help remove tartar (hardened plaque) that you can’t remove at home, but it also allows your dentist to identify dental problems before they start.
Are Dental Cleanings Every Six Months Necessary?
In short, getting your teeth cleaned every six months is critical to preserving your dental health. Even if you clean your teeth like a pro, there are still areas that are hard to reach, meaning that a professional dental hygienist can clean your teeth in ways you cannot. From removing tartar and buildup to checking for cavities, a routine dental cleaning helps prevent cavities and can keep your smile healthy for years to come. In addition, these cleanings act like a “clean slate” for your teeth, helping you better care for your smile.
Skipping a dental cleaning gives dental issues time to build up and grow worse. Cavities or soft spots in your teeth caught early enough are easily treatable. At the same time, cavities allowed to grow may require invasive treatment like root canals or even extraction if the cavity becomes too large. Getting a dental cleaning every six months allows your dentist to look out for potential issues before they become serious, like gingivitis, dental shifting, sensitivity, and more.
Routine Dental Cleaning VS. Deep Cleaning
You can think of at-home, routine, and deep dental cleaning, much like your chore list. At-home dental cleaning is like washing the dishes, changing your clothes, or sweeping; it helps maintain your home. However, even if you clean every day, you still need to mop your floors and scrub your sink every so often, which is what routine dental cleaning is for your teeth.
Deep cleaning happens when you miss out on the first two kinds of cleaning or find a space you couldn’t reach before. In deep dental cleaning, your dental hygienist removes significant buildup and helps restore your teeth to a clean, healthy state. By visiting your dentist every six months for a routine cleaning, you can avoid deep cleaning and keep your teeth healthier and happier all year.
Can Dental Cleaning Damage Teeth?
Cleaning your teeth by a professional dental hygienist will not damage your teeth and instead helps preserve your dental health. However, using professional dental tools at home can damage your teeth and lead to injury, so it is always best to leave tartar removal to the professionals instead of purchasing an at-home dental cleaning kit.
If you’re looking to schedule a routine dental cleaning, call us at (303) 798.4967. Our team at Southbridge Dentistry works hard to help our patients maintain their dental health. If you have any questions, give us a call today.
Source(s):
https://www.ada.org/resources/research/science-and-research-institute/oral-health-topics/home-care