What’s good for your overall health, painless and can save you money? Professional teeth cleanings!
Getting your teeth cleaned by your friendly North Seattle neighborhood hygienist or dentist is probably one of the best things you can do for the health of your mouth, and your overall health!
Even if you’re an at-home oral hygiene guru, and you brush and floss (correctly) after every meal, you should still make the visit for your cleanings. Why? Because dental plaque, the sticky bacteria that builds up on your teeth, starts forming on your teeth between 4-12 hours after you brush.
As plaque starts to build up on your teeth, in those areas where it’s tough to manage (and reach!) with flossing and brushing, it turns into tartar. The yellowish, or brown, crusty stuff that latches onto your teeth. It accumulates on your teeth and produces acids that attack your tooth’s enamel, causing cavities, and it also causes gum disease, which can lead to tooth loss. Gum disease is also linked to several serious health issues – more on this below.
The good news? The only effective way to scrub tartar off your teeth is with a professional cleaning.
So, when you have your teeth cleaned, twice a year, you’re not just taking care of your oral health, you’re also protecting your overall health too.
6 Ways Teeth Cleanings Benefit You!
- Prevent Tooth Decay, Cavities & Gum Disease! – Every day, plaque accumulates on your teeth, especially in those hard to reach places. Eventually it mineralizes and forms tartar, Tartar can’t be removed with a toothbrush, or by flossing, only by your friendly hygienist or dentist. When you miss your cleanings, and don’t scrub away the plaque and tartar, it opens the door for tooth decay, cavities, and gum disease. Note: If you haven’t had your teeth cleaned in a while, you could benefit from a deep cleaning!
- Remove Stains + Highlight Your Smile – What you eat and drink throughout the day will stain your teeth. Wine, tea, coffee, sodas, even ketchup can stain your teeth. During your dental cleaning visit, we’ll polish your teeth to help remove some of these built up stains. We’ll also return your tooth enamel to its original smoothness. You’ll walk out with a rejuvenated smile, and your teeth will feel nice and smooth again!
- It Keeps Your Body Healthy – What’s good for your mouth is also good for your overall health! Gum disease is linked to other serious health conditions, such as diabetes and heart disease. Your routine cleanings will help keep you gum disease free. This lowers your risk for some of these other serious health issues. We also screen for oral cancer during your cleaning visits, so that we can keep an eye out for any signs of cancer or precancerous conditions within your mouth.
- Reduce Bad Breath – Besides harming your teeth and gums, plaque build up can also promote lingering bad breath. Regular teeth cleanings will help reduce the bacteria that causes bad breath. Environmental Benefit: Reducing bad breath is great for the planet. It’s good for you and it benefits everyone around you too!
- Prevent Tooth Loss – If gum disease isn’t properly treated, the built-up tartar will work its way into your gum line, where it can attack the roots of your teeth. This can cause your gums to pull away and your teeth to loosen and lead to your losing a tooth. Fortunately, your risk of tooth loss is greatly reduced simply by having your teeth professionally cleaned twice a year.
- Avoid Costly Dental Treatments + Save Money – Professional teeth cleanings are a major component of your preventative dental care. Most dental plans will cover your cleanings, or a portion of them. If you have dental benefits, please take advantage your benefits every year! But even if you don’t have dental insurance, you will greatly reduce needing more serious, and costly dental treatments down the road by having your teeth cleaned twice a year. You will lower your risk for dental fillings, gum disease treatments or having to replace a missing tooth.
Your routine teeth cleanings with us usually takes an hour. During your visit, we’ll gently clean your teeth, and help make the entire experience as relaxing as possible. Think of it as a visit to your North Seattle smile spa.
If you’re looking to do something for yourself that will help you stay healthy throughout the years, don’t forget to stay on top of your routine teeth cleaning visits. Just call us to schedule your dental exam at (206) 524-1000 or reach out to us online!