I Missed a Dental Cleaning. So What?
October 17, 2018
Your calendar is pretty full. Depending on your family obligations, work, hobbies, and fun events, you are probably juggling a lot of appointments and schedules. You may have had a dental cleaning schedule that you missed. You may have not even had a dental cleaning scheduled at all in the past six months or longer. Is it really a big deal if you miss a routine dental cleaning? The short answer is yes, it is a big deal. We will explore why routine cleanings are so important today. If you haven’t had a dental cleaning in over six months, contact Cosmetic & Implant Dentistry of Kansas City, MO to schedule one today.
Bacteria Builds Up
Plaque, the sticky biofilm filled with bacteria, coats the outside surfaces of your teeth every day. You remove it twice a day when you are brushing and flossing. However, you are more than likely missing some of the plaque. It is very common for some to be left behind. Any plaque that stays in your smile can calcify (harden) into tartar, which can lead to tooth decay and gum disease. Tartar cannot be removed by you at home and it must be removed during a dental cleaning. The longer you go without a cleaning, the longer bacteria has to attack your smile.
Problems Could Be Progressing
If you are missing a dental cleaning, you are likely to also miss a dental exam. Most smile issues are progressive, which means they will continue to get worse and worse until they are identified and treated. Most smile issues all start off with hardly any warning signs. You may not notice them until they have progressed to a serious, irreversible stage. This means that preventive visits on a routine schedule are a better course of action instead of waiting until you feel pain or notice an issue. Waiting until you notice a problem is a path to expensive, painful issues that could have been avoided.
Routine Dental Cleanings Are Important
Missing a dental cleaning can leave your smile vulnerable to tooth decay and gum disease. To schedule a consultation, call Cosmetic & Implant Dentistry of Kansas City, today at 816-427-4018.