Are You going to the Dentist Every Six Months?

Are You going to the Dentist Every Six Months?

The importance of a regular dental exam and teeth cleaning can’t be understated. Smiling is scientifically proven to make you happier and if you aren’t happy and confident with your teeth, you’re probably not smiling. But that’s just an example. If you skip out on dental exams and teeth cleaning, you also miss out on preventing many problems before they start.

Gum disease is the most obvious one. And one of the most deadly. Yeah, not going to the dentist can cause more then tooth problems. Getting a dental exam every six months stops plague build-up. Because as plaque builds up and dies of around the teeth, it eventually hardens, becoming tartar or calculus. Once the tartar builds up around the teeth and the gums, it causes the gums to pull away from the teeth. This allows food to build up and harbor bacteria. As the bacteria enters the bloodstream, dead plaque hardens and calcifies and is then referred to as tartar, or calculus. Once the calculus builds up around the teeth, in between them, and the gums, it causes the gums to pull away from the teeth. When the gums pull away from the teeth, a pocket is created which allows food and debris to accumulate, harboring even more bacteria. This also allows bacteria to enter the bloodstream. That can cause blood clots and lead to heart disease and other illnesses. Studies find people with gum disease are twice as likely to suffer from heart disease.

Going to the dentist doesn’t sound so cosmetic now, does it? But in addition to preventing gum disease, a regular dental check up and teeth cleaning, halts tooth decay and enamel erosion before it starts. And it can also stop any further problems from developing if you haven’t been getting regular check ups.

But just by going you reinforce to yourself how important taking care of your teeth is. Your dentist can advise you on whether you are flossing correctly and the cleaning removes all the buildup from those hard to reach spaces your toothbrush just can’t reach.

And these are just some of the reasons a regular six month check up and cleaning is o important.