Good oral hygiene ensures your teeth stay clean and healthy. At-home teeth brushing and flossing are crucial to a clean smile. But your oral hygiene regimen will not be complete without regularly scheduled teeth cleanings from your dentist.
During a professional dental cleaning, your dentist will scrape away plaque and tartar build-up from spots in your smile that a toothbrush cannot easily reach. This way, you can ensure thorough cleanliness and maximum protection from cavities and other dental concerns.
The average dental patient will need to attend a dental cleaning every six months. But some people may need more extensive dental attention to keep their smiles clean, and this will entail more frequent teeth cleaning appointments.
The ability to identify signs of the need for a dental cleaning can ensure you get the preventive oral health care your smile needs in a timely fashion. Read on to find three issues you may see in your smile if you are due for a professional teeth cleaning.
Dental Discoloration
Many people strive to keep their smiles looking bright and pearly white. So you may feel unsettled if your teeth start to look dark or yellow. Dental discoloration can develop for a number of reasons, including consuming foods and beverages that contain staining agents.
Your dentist can help you remove surface stains that disrupt your beautiful tooth color during a dental cleaning. But stains on your teeth might also be a symptom of certain oral health problems.
In this case, you would want a dentist to examine the concern and offer treatment if needed. In either instance, you will want a dentist to evaluate dental discoloration at your next check-up.
Irritated Gums
A teeth cleaning appointment will benefit more than just your teeth. This professional level of care is necessary to keep your gums healthy as well. Over time, plaque build-up may accrue near the gumline which a toothbrush cannot easily access.
When this happens, the residues will irritate the gums. You can notice swelling, soreness, tenderness, and bleeding from the gum tissue. These symptoms might also be a sign of gingivitis, an early stage of gum disease.
A dentist can check your gums for infection during your next dental cleaning. Plus, the dentist can get rid of build-up on your teeth for relief from periodontal symptoms.
Chronic Bad Breath
Bad-smelling breath can strike after a strongly flavored meal for even the most conscious dental patients. Usually, you can get rid of bad breath by completing oral hygiene and removing lingering food particles. If bad breath persists on a chronic basis, you might be due for a teeth cleaning.
Plaque and tartar that stick to your teeth will encourage bacteria production in the mouth. Excess bacteria will start to give off a foul odor that can affect your breath.
You might also notice a bad taste in your mouth for this same reason. To avoid uncomfortable symptoms, make sure you attend teeth cleanings at your dentist’s office routinely.