Dental cleanings aren’t just about keeping your teeth shiny and white. They are important for other reasons as well. Usually, you have a checkup before your cleaning. Checkups can consist of digital X-rays, an oral cancer exam and sometimes more. X-rays show if you are developing a cavity in one or more teeth, where the cavities are located, how big they are, and what’s going on beneath your gums. However, professional dental cleanings are an important step in preventing cavities and worse–gingivitis, or periodontal disease.

Oral Bacteria

Your mouth is filled with oral bacteria. Some is bad bacteria and some is good bacteria that helps hold the bad bacteria in check. The bad bacteria feed on the leftover sugars and food debris on your teeth and in the process, produce harmful acids which eat away at your tooth enamel and cause decay. When you brush your teeth, you are removing this mixture of saliva, bacteria, and debris that is called plaque. If you don’t brush your teeth often or good enough this plaque hardens into tartar and can only be removed via a professional cleaning.

Periodontal Disease

Other than protecting against cavities, professional cleanings also protect against gingivitis and periodontal disease. If the tartar is left unremoved from your teeth, it can continue to develop under your gums and cause redness, inflammation, and bleeding. This is called gingivitis, the earliest stage of gum disease. If gingivitis is left untreated there is the possibility that it will develop into full-blown periodontal disease which is the major cause of tooth loss.

Therefore…

Therefore, dental checkups and cleanings are preventive measures to prevent you from losing your teeth!