The general rule of good dental hygiene (besides brushing and flossing your teeth twice a day) is to visit your dentist for dental cleanings and examinations at least once every six months. Your routine visits will allow us to ensure that your dental health stays in good shape by cleaning your teeth more thoroughly and checking for signs of potential trouble. Even if your teeth don’t ache and your gums look fine, we explain a few reasons why you shouldn’t skip even one of your dental cleanings.  

Prevention is Easier than Restoration

The majority of your dental health care should focus on prevention. It is why you brush and floss your teeth, and it’s the reason behind your dental checkups and cleanings. Every day, oral bacteria mix with and feed on food particles from your meals and snacks. These elements also combine to form dental plaque, which protects oral bacteria from saliva while they multiply. Left alone, these bacteria will eventually lead to tooth decay, gum disease, and potentially tooth loss. While we can restore your smile if these issues occur, the damage will be permanent, and preventing them from occurring is always the preferable option.

Your Toothbrush Can Only Do So Much

After a day or two, any plaque that remains on your teeth will calcify into tartar, which cannot be removed with your hygiene instruments at home. Impervious to water, toothpaste, toothbrush, and floss, tartar further protects oral bacteria as they grow and continue to attack your oral tissues. If you maintain a regular schedule of dental cleanings, we can carefully clean plaque and tartar from every surface of your teeth, especially along your gum line. In case it has been there a while, we will also perform a thorough examination to check for signs of existing issues, like cavities and gingivitis.

ABOUT YOUR NORTH RICHLAND HILLS DENTIST:

With over 25 years of professional experience, Dr. Steven M. Huffstutler and his caring team proudly provide exceptional preventive, cosmetic, and restorative dental treatment to patients and their families across Dallas/Ft. Worth, including North Richland Hills, Denton, the Mid-cities, Southlake, and all surrounding communities. We also have extensive experience helping patients find relief from painful TMJ disorders (various forms of jaw dysfunction). To schedule an appointment with Dr. Huffstutler, contact our office today by calling 817-918-3038.