Dentistry 101: Why Professional Dental Cleanings and Checkups Are Essential to Your Health
Most people know they should visit the dentist on a regular basis to keep their smile looking its absolute best. But there’s a lot more to regular checkups and cleanings than meets the eye. Not only do twice-yearly visits benefit your oral health — they’re important for your overall wellness, too.
As a top-ranked dentist in Newberg, Oregon, Kyle D. Kern, DMD, offers comprehensive family dentistry for patients of all ages, including preventive care focused on each patient’s unique needs. Here, we explain why it’s so important to keep your twice-a-year dental checkup and professional cleaning appointments.
Beyond brushing and flossing: Oral health benefits
Twice-daily brushing and daily flossing play critical roles in keeping your teeth healthy, along with lifestyle habits like limiting sugary snacks. But as important as these steps are for maintaining your oral health, they’re no substitute for professional dental exams and cleanings.
Your mouth is home to millions of bacteria. Over time, bacteria, food particles, and other substances form a sticky film called plaque. While brushing and flossing can remove a lot of that plaque, it can still stick around — especially between your teeth and along the gum line.
Unless you get this persistent plaque removed regularly, you can wind up with hardened tartar deposits — and a dramatically increased risk of gum disease, a leading cause of adult tooth loss.
Bacteria that live in and around plaque and tartar deposits release acids that eat away at tooth enamel, weakening this protective barrier on your tooth surface. That means those deposits don’t just harm your gum tissue — they increase your risk of painful cavities, too.
During a professional dental cleaning, Dr. Kern and his team of skilled hygienists use special tools and techniques to carefully remove plaque and tartar deposits, eliminating bacteria and preventing gum irritation and tooth damage. A final polish keeps your teeth looking their absolute best.
Important benefits for overall wellness
Poor oral hygiene is linked to a number of serious medical conditions, including increased risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and even pregnancy complications. That connection is largely due to inflammation associated with oral health problems that triggers inflammation — and its negative effects — in other areas of your body.
The cleaning portion of your twice-yearly dental visits removes the plaque, tartar, and germs that can lead to inflammation. Lower bacterial populations support a healthier immune system and a more robust immune response to illnesses like the flu or colds.
During a thorough exam, Dr. Kern looks for early signs of oral health problems, including oral cancer, so treatment can begin promptly and you can avoid serious complications.
Dr. Kern and his team also look for areas where your at-home routine might need a little help, providing guidance to improve brushing and flossing to help you maintain optimal oral health between visits.
Emotional benefits, too
You might not think regular dental care would have an effect on your emotions and moods, but consider this: When your smile looks its best, you feel more confident and upbeat about your appearance and the impression you’re making on others.
At the same time, knowing your teeth and gums are healthy provides significant peace of mind — and means you have one less thing to stress over. By preventing oral health problems, you reduce your need for more intensive and costly treatments later on, further reducing stress while preserving your budget.
And, of course, visiting us twice a year for basic cleanings and exams helps you feel a lot more familiar and comfortable with dental visits, erasing any anxiety that might make you more likely to skip a visit in the future.
Schedule your visit today
Most preventive visits only take about an hour. That means just two hours every year is all you need to invest to enjoy a lifetime of benefits for your oral health and your overall health, too.
If you’re due (or overdue!) for your twice-yearly checkup, now is the perfect time to get back on track. Request an appointment today with Dr. Kern and his professional, caring team.