Why Skipping Your Dental Cleaning Is a Bad Idea

The fact that professional dental cleaning is vital to a healthy smile is common knowledge. However, it doesn’t stop many people from avoiding, neglecting, or postponing their visits when time seem short. Even if you do an amazing job of consistently brushing and flossing your teeth every day, regular dental cleanings are essential to ensuring that your smile remains healthy for life. If you skip even a single appointment, then your hygiene efforts alone may not be enough to protect your smile from concerns such as tooth decay, gum disease, and more.

Limitations of hygiene at home

Your daily hygiene routine is a form of dental cleaning in itself. The goal is to use your toothpaste, toothbrush, and floss to remove the buildup of harmful dental plaque, which consists mainly of oral bacteria. This plaque forms on your teeth every day, and the harmful bacteria within it are the building blocks of chronic dental health issues. When left alone, they can erode and weaken your tooth enamel, or infect your sensitive gum tissues. When you miss a spot of plaque, it will quickly calcify into tartar and become impervious to your hygiene tools at home.

What happens at a dental cleaning?

Tartar is insoluble, and the only way to remove it is for your dentist or hygienist to professionally clean it away. During your dental cleaning appointment, we’ll carefully clean every surface of your teeth, including along your gum line, to remove all traces of plaque and tartar, preferably before the bacteria within them have a chance to cause trouble. For optimal protection, we’ll also carefully examine your teeth and gums to ensure that plaque and tartar haven’t already left a lasting impression. If so, then we’ll consult with you to design the most appropriate method of addressing your concern.

Why consistency is the key

The reason why you have to brush and floss your teeth every day is because oral bacteria are constantly active. They accumulate into plaque constantly, and will only grow stronger the longer they’re left unattended. The same is true for tartar, which is why regularly scheduled dental cleanings are essential. Consistently visiting your dentist helps ensure that you stop tartar development in its tracks. If you skip an appointment, then you may already have one or more concerns to address by the time you visit your dentist again.

Schedule your next dental cleaning

Skipping your cleaning appointment might be tempting sometimes, but it could be the chance that harmful oral bacteria need to cause potentially serious concerns. For more information, schedule a consultation by calling Syosset Dental in Syosset, NY today at 516-433-2211 or 516-921-1678.