Preventive Dental Care

How a Teeth Cleaning in Silver Spring, MD Can Prevent Dental Problems

A regular dental teeth cleaning and exam in Silver Spring, MD and simple dental care habits at home is the front line to good dental care to prevent dental problems and maintain the health of your teeth.

Reasons for Dental Teeth Cleanings

  1. Prevent Oral Cancer. During your teeth cleaning, your dentist is also screening for oral cancer which is curable if diagnosed early.
  2. Prevent Gum Disease. Gum disease if caught in the gingivitis state can be treated and reversed. If not caught early, periodontitis may follow which is a more serious and advanced stage of gum disease. Regular teeth cleanings in Silver Spring, MD along with daily brushing and flossing twice a day can prevent gum disease.
  3. Maintain Good Oral and Physical Health. A dental teeth cleaning every six months in Silver Spring, MD helps to maintain healthy teeth and gums reducing your risk of heart disease and strokes.
  4. Prevent Tooth Loss. Gum disease is one of the leading causes of tooth loss in adults in Silver Spring, MD. Regular dental checkups and a professional teeth cleaning along with daily brushing and flossing are vital to preventing tooth loss. Keeping your teeth helps you to be able to chew food better and is better for your overall health.
  5. Prevent Bad Breath. Most people with halitosis, bad breath, have a dental problem causing bad breath. Regular checkups and teeth cleanings in Silver Spring, MD are the best way to prevent problems with bad breath.
  6. Brighter and Whiter Smile. A professional teeth cleaning in Silver Spring, MD will allow your dental hygienist to remove most tobacco, coffee, and tea stains. Your dental hygienist will also polish your teeth to a brighter and whiter smile.

You should spend at least two to three minutes, twice daily brushing and flossing your teeth. Brush your teeth gently. Apply just enough pressure to feel the bristles against your gums and between your teeth to avoid gum injury and tooth wear. Change your toothbrush every three months or if it begins to look worn. Always change your toothbrush after you have been sick.

Regular brushing and flossing twice a day and visiting your dentist in Silver Spring, MD for a professional teeth cleaning and exam can prevent future dental problems.

How Important a Dental Check-up is to Your Overall Health in Silver Spring, MD

Maintaining good oral health by frequently brushing and flossing and regularly scheduling a dental check-up in Silver Spring, MD at least every six months is imperative to your overall health. Oral health affects both the physical and psychological well-being of people. Oral health influences your appearance and how well you chew food and speak.

Missing teeth and gum disease can lead to being embarrassed when smiling and can cause bad breath, both which can impact your self-confidence and self-esteem. Your mouth carries bacteria that grows without the proper oral hygiene of brushing and flossing along with a dental check-up by your local dentist in Silver Spring, MD.

Neglecting daily oral hygiene and failing to go for your six-month dental check-up and dental cleanings allows bacteria in your mouth to grow and get out of balance causing infections such as tooth decay and gum disease, known as periodontitis.

During a typical dental check-up, your dentist will check for tooth decay, gum disease, and other problems. You will also receive a professional cleaning by your dental hygienist. This cleaning will remove any plaque and bacteria that you have missed during your home oral hygiene regimen. The dental hygienist will also properly floss your teeth and may give you suggestions on proper teeth and gum care.

A special tool will be used to measure the space between your teeth to see if they are healthy. The spaces should be shallow; if deep, this means you have gum disease. Your check-up will also include the examination of your tongue, neck, face, and throat to check for signs of ulcers, swelling or cancer.

Gum disease is the most common cause of tooth loss for adults over the age of 30 years old. By getting into the habit of good oral hygiene at home along with your regular dental check-ups by your dentist in Silver Spring, MD can reduce gum disease and tooth loss.

The University of California at Berkeley conducted a study and found that women who have their regular dental check-ups have a 33 percent lower risk of heart disease. Aetna also did a study that showed both men and women that had regular dental check-ups had lower overall health care costs because many diseases were detected early at their dental check-ups. Dentists look for early signs of vitamin deficiencies, oral cancer, and diabetes during your regular dental check-ups.

Proper oral hygiene at home and regular dental check-ups in Silver Spring, MD are important and will benefit your oral health as well as your overall health.