Why You Shouldn’t Skip Your Dental Cleaning

Do you have a habit of letting your dental cleanings slide a month or two or perhaps skipping one altogether? If so, you could be allowing harmful oral bacteria to linger on your teeth. In doing so, you could be putting your oral health at an increased risk for tooth decay and gum disease. Bacteria are behind both of these oral health problems, and the longer they remain on your teeth, the more likely it is that tooth decay and gum disease will develop. Therefore, removing these bacteria is a major priority in maintaining a healthy mouth, which is why your Albuquerque NM dentist, Dr. Mark Miller, urges his patients to attend dental cleanings regularly.

Tartar and Your Teeth

You may be wondering why dental cleanings are so important in removing bacteria from your teeth. After all, you probably brush your teeth at least twice per day and floss once. Why, then, are dental cleanings necessary? The answer lies in the way that bacteria attach themselves to our teeth. They begin this process by forming a clear, sticky film called plaque. As plaque, the bacteria can cling to our teeth, allowing them to consume sugar and give off a damaging acid byproduct, but thankfully, thorough brushing and flossing prove successful in removing them.

However, if plaque is allowed to remain on a tooth for 48 hours, it will harden into tartar, which proves much more difficult to remove. In fact, a toothbrush and dental floss typically prove inadequate in prising tartar from teeth, which is why dental hygienists wield the instruments they do. These cleaning utensils are able to scrape away tartar, liberating teeth from the bacteria that may attack them on a daily basis. You can, therefore, see just how important dental cleanings are in maintaining your oral health and the undue risk that you will take in skipping or delaying a dental cleaning.

General Dental Care in Albuquerque NM

In addition to allowing hygienists to remove tartar from your teeth, dental cleanings are useful in that they allow your Albuquerque NM dentist, Dr. Miller, to examine your teeth for any oral health problems. Both experienced and approachable, Dr. Miller combines top-notch dental care with a comfortable atmosphere. He welcomes questions and strives to educate his patients so that they can enjoy prolonged oral health.

About Snowpark Dental: Dr. Mark Miller of Snowpark Dental is a respected dentist with extensive training in implantology. Patients can contact Dr. Miller by calling (505) 596-4479 to schedule an appointment or a consultation.

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