Four Factors That Influence How Often You Should Have Your Teeth Professionally Cleaned
Posted on: 13 December 2022
Regular teeth cleanings are crucial for maintaining optimal oral health. Most dentists recommend getting your teeth professionally cleaned every six months. However, some people require more frequent visits, while others can get away with one dental cleaning a year. It's crucial to determine the best frequency for cleaning your teeth, so you can keep cavities at bay. Below are four factors to consider when deciding how often to see your dentist for teeth cleaning.
Type of Diet
Do you regularly consume sweet snacks and sugary foods? If so, you are at risk of developing cavities. Sugar helps to create harmful bacteria in the mouth. Consequently, the bacteria multiply and form a sticky film known as plaque on the enamel. Continued consumption of sugary foods causes bacteria to interact with the sugar and produce acids that erode the enamel and lead to cavities. Therefore, besides brushing and flossing your teeth daily, you need frequent dental cleanings to get rid of plaque and prevent cavities.
Dental Care Practices
How consistent are you with your dental care? Do you brush and floss your teeth after every meal? Failure to clean the teeth daily allows bacteria in the mouth to interact with the food particles stuck between the teeth. As the bacteria break down the sugar in the food, they produce acids that damage the enamel. If you are prone to slacking on dental care, you should schedule regular teeth cleanings with your dentist. During the visit, your dentist can examine your teeth for decay and treat cavities before they advance to severe dental caries.
Early Dental Cavities
Tooth decay usually starts as a white spot near the gum line. Early cavities can be treated by using fluoride treatments to restore the enamel. If you have early cavities in your teeth, you need to monitor them to prevent them from advancing to severe decay. Therefore, you should get dental cleanings at least once every three months. During the cleaning procedure, your dentist will get rid of plaque on the enamel to prevent further tooth decay. The dentist can also recommend the best toothpaste or dental treatment to treat the cavities.
Use of Orthodontic Appliances
Some orthodontic appliances increase the risk of getting cavities. For example, conventional braces have brackets that trap food particles and complicate oral hygiene. If you don't clean the teeth properly, the particles trapped between the brackets can attract bacteria, leading to enamel damage. Therefore, you require regular dental cleanings when wearing braces to keep tooth decay at bay.
If you are at risk of developing cavities because of the above factors, you should get your teeth professionally cleaned more often. Ask your dentist to recommend the best cleaning schedule for optimal oral health.
Contact your dentist to learn more about dental teeth cleanings.
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