Taking care of your teeth and gums at home with brushing, flossing, and a healthy diet helps to maintain good oral health. However, most people find that at-home care isn't quite enough to achieve and maintain optimal oral health. That's where professional dental cleanings at the dentist's office come in. These routine, deep cleanings help to maintain good oral health while also keeping your smile bright and beautiful.

If you're ready to dive into an exceptional oral hygiene routine with Opal Dental Group, we encourage you to continue reading to learn more about the importance of routine dental cleanings for your oral health and general wellness. 

The Foundation of Oral Hygiene

Although you might not realize it, good health is a lifestyle; health is strongly related to the habits you keep and the routine you follow every day. For this reason, your at-home oral hygiene is vital to maintaining healthy teeth and gums and good wellness overall. 

Getting in the habit of brushing your teeth twice a day (morning and before bed) for two minutes (30 seconds per quadrant of teeth) and flossing at least once a day will help to keep your mouth clean, minimize harmful bacteria, and prevent oral health problems.

While what you do at home is extremely important, visiting the dentist for routine professional teeth cleanings is also vital to good oral and general health because at-home oral hygiene can't quite maintain your teeth and gums at an optimal level. 

Understanding Plaque and Tartar Buildup

Throughout every day and night, a sticky, white biofilm accumulates on the surfaces of the teeth. This biofilm is called plaque, and it is filled with bacteria. This plaque combines with minerals in the saliva and calcifies into a tough material called tartar (also called calculus). Tartar is a type of hard, rough deposit that accumulates on the surfaces of the teeth, and it puts the teeth at risk of tooth decay and cavities, while increasing the risk of gingivitis and periodontitis of the gum tissues. 

While brushing and flossing help to mitigate plaque calcification, it doesn't completely stop tartar from forming and accumulating on the surfaces of the teeth (the tooth enamel). That's why professional teeth cleanings are recommended at least every six months for healthy adults and children. These deep cleanings remove calculus from the tooth enamel, helping to support better oral health. 

The Importance of Healthy Gums

The gum tissues inside your mouth are incredibly important for dental health and overall health (more on that later). These pink tissues are responsible for supporting and protecting your teeth. 

When tartar is left to accumulate on the tooth enamel, it pushes the gums away from the teeth, creating pockets where harmful bacteria thrive. When the gingival pockets become infected, the gum tissues become inflamed, bleed more easily, can begin to recede, and cause chronic bad breath. These are the early signs of a person developing gingivitis.

If left unaddressed, gingivitis will eventually develop into a more severe case of periodontal disease (periodontitis). Moderate and advanced periodontitis can cause significant pain and discomfort, bone degeneration, and even tooth loss. 

Preventive Dentistry and Its Role

Preventive dentistry is a branch of dentistry that focuses on the prevention, early detection, and prompt treatment of oral health problems like dental disease, tooth decay, cavities, gingivitis, periodontal disease, and oral cancer. 

Preventive dentistry combines at-home care, patient education, and preventive treatments such as fluoride applications, dental sealants, and professional teeth cleanings to prevent oral health problems from occurring. 

How Routine Cleanings Aid Cavity Prevention

Plaque and tartar that accumulate on the surfaces of the teeth trap harmful bacteria against the tooth enamel. The bacteria produce acid as a waste product, and acid eats away at the tooth enamel, leading to the deterioration of the hard, protective layer of the teeth. As the tooth enamel softens, tooth decay occurs. Left unaddressed, tooth decay eventually leads to the formation of small holes in the teeth called dental caries or cavities. 

During routine dental appointments, dental hygienists remove plaque and tartar from the surfaces of the teeth with scaling and polishing tools to help mitigate harmful bacteria. We also apply professional fluoride treatments. Applied to the teeth topically in the form of gel, varnish, or foam, fluoride helps to fortify the tooth enamel. It can reverse early tooth decay and strengthen the protective layer of the teeth to prevent cavities. 

The Connection Between Oral Hygiene and Overall Health

Although you might think of your oral health as separate from the health of your body, they are actually closely connected, with the health of your mouth impacting the body's health and vice versa. Poor oral health that leads to periodontal disease increases the risk of several systemic health problems, such as generalized inflammation, chronic respiratory infections, diabetes, heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis, dementia, certain types of cancer, and reproductive health problems. 

So, taking steps to prevent oral health problems from developing will also help to safeguard the general overall health of your body. 

The Benefits of Professional Dental Cleaning

Professional dental cleanings offer several benefits to patients, including:

• Removal of Plaque and Tartar - Prophylaxis cleanings are designed to thoroughly clean the teeth, removing tough deposits of tartar and difficult-to-reach plaque. Dental hygienists are able to clear these deposits from even the hard-to-reach areas between the teeth and below the gum line. 
• Prevention of Oral Health Problems - Visiting the dentist for regular dental cleanings helps to prevent oral health problems like tooth decay, cavities, and gum disease from developing. 
• Early Detection and Treatment - If any issues arise, routine appointments ensure their early detection, diagnosis, and treatment. This results in more successful treatment outcomes and less invasive treatments. 
• Better Care at Home - When cleaning and examining your teeth, our dental hygienists and dentists will provide you with personalized recommendations for taking care of your teeth at home. We can help you improve your techniques or provide you with recommendations for specific tools and products designed to target your individual areas of concern. 
• Long-Term Savings - Investing in preventive dental care will save you money in the long run because advanced oral health problems can be costly and more difficult to treat, manage, and resolve. 
• Fresher Breath - Routine cleanings minimize the amount of plaque and tartar on your teeth, which also minimizes the harmful bacteria living inside your mouth. This results in fresher breath. 
• Boosted Confidence - Through scaling and polishing your teeth, you will be able to maintain a bright, white, healthy smile that you feel happy and proud to show off. 

Children's Dental Care

The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends that children have their first dental appointment as soon as their first tooth emerges or when they celebrate their first birthday (whichever occurs first). After that, children should continue visiting the dentist for routine cleanings and exams every six months. 

This helps children build a strong foundation of good oral hygiene, understand the importance of dental care, and develop good oral hygiene habits, while preventing tooth decay, cavities, and gum disease. 

Prioritize Your Dental Health With Preventive Care and Routine Dental Cleanings in Macomb

As you can see, professional dental cleanings are a vital component in a comprehensive oral care routine. If it's been more than six months since your last dental cleaning and examination, we strongly encourage you to contact Opan Dental Group to schedule your next dental cleaning in Macomb. We look forward to joining you on your journey to optimal oral health!