Tooth and dentist mirrorStaying up-to-date with your routine check-ups and examinations is an important half of the standard oral health regimen, followed by daily brushing and flossing. While you may believe that you are on top of your smile’s health, skipping your examination and cleaning puts it at a disadvantage for multiple reasons and can result in threats from oral bacteria, disease, and even tooth loss. At Cedar Dental in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, we emphasize the importance of having a professional tend to your smile to keep it healthy and welcome you to our office for a regular cleaning and check-up.

Increased Risk of Disease

Maintaining good habits at home is simply not enough to protect your teeth from infection and threats to its vibrancy. While at home, you are unable to properly see and detect these oral threats and thus are put at a disadvantage when it comes to identifying them. Because of this, the assistance of a trained professional is necessary to ensure your teeth are protected.

During your routine examination, your dentist will take a close look at each tooth and your gums to make sure they are doing well. In doing so, the dentist is paying attention to any abnormalities such as swelling, discoloration, the potential harm caused by cavities, and oral cancer that may have developed, in addition to any chips, cracks, or blemishes that should be addressed with a potential filling or other procedure.

Tartar Buildup

After examining your gums and oral structures, the dentist will then perform a cleaning in order to remove any harmful bacteria or other organisms threatening your smile. During this step, the dentist will pay close attention to any plaque or tartar that has been building up since your last cleaning, making sure to remove it. If left untreated, plaque begins to calcify and turn into tartar, which can be difficult to remove. Once this happens, you may require a deep cleaning in which your dentist will need to remove the tartar from the roots of your teeth in the process of scaling and planing.

Potential Tooth Loss

Finally, a major concern of not attending your appointment can ultimately result in tooth loss. Tooth decay and cavities in their early stages can easily be managed. If you are not on top of it, however, your cavity will continue to destroy your tooth until a point where the only solutions to alleviating the issue include a root canal or extraction.

Schedule Your Check-Up and Cleaning Today

Skipping your check-up can have a myriad of negative consequences, from difficult tartar buildup to even tooth loss. At Cedar Dental in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, we stress the importance of being proactive about your oral health and welcome you to contact our office at 319-364-7108 to schedule your examination today.