Why Your Dentist Looks for Plaque During Your Dental Check-Up

Understanding the importance of a dental check-up is crucial to your oral health. If you do not take proper care of your mouth, your oral hygiene issues can lead to problems with your overall health.

This article will outline why dental check-ups are important and explain the role that plaque plays in oral health issues. 

What happens during a check-up?

Studies show that oral disease affects nearly 3.5 billion people worldwide. It can lead to pain, discomfort, gum disease, and tooth loss. Regular dental appointments can help you detect and prevent oral health problems before they get out of hand.

During a professional dental cleaning, your dental hygienist or dentist will take an assessment of your overall oral health. They will also remove any plaque and tartar built up on the surface of your teeth over time. Plaque is a clear, sticky film that forms on the surface of your teeth. It is made up of decayed food particles and bacteria. Over time, any plaque left on your teeth hardens into tartar, which is more harmful and harder to remove than plaque. Cleaning out plaque buildup can help prevent tooth decay.

It is probably difficult for you to examine your teeth on your own, but your oral hygienist and dentist will be able to pin down any problem areas in your mouth. They are trained to spot early signs of decay before problems get worse.

Avoid gingivitis

Plaque and tartar deposits build up in your mouth over time, and if you do not take care to remove them promptly, they can spread into the spaces between your teeth and gums, causing gingivitis or gum disease. Gingivitis can cause loose teeth, persistent bad breath, tooth sensitivity, pain when chewing, tender gums, bleeding gums, and receding gums.

When gum disease is left untreated, the infection in your gums can travel below your gum line into your bone. This leads to an even more serious form of gum disease called periodontitis.

Not getting treatment for periodontitis right away can lead to heart disease, pneumonia, diabetes, osteoporosis, and cancer.

Gingivitis is less likely to progress into periodontitis if you keep up with regular check-ups.

You will not be able to control the infection yourself. You will need a professional deep cleaning, which involves going below the gum line and using special tools. Your dentist might also use scaling or root planning to clean beneath your gums, as well. In extreme cases, your gum disease or periodontitis may require surgery. You can avoid pain and save money on costly treatments if you keep up with regular check-ups and cleanings to keep gum disease at bay.

In conclusion

In short, plaque hardens into tartar. Tartar is difficult to remove with brushing and floss alone and requires a professional dental cleaning during a dental check-up. Uncontrolled plaque and tartar can spread to your gums and cause gum disease. Gum disease can worsen into periodontitis that affects the bone and puts you at a higher risk of heart disease, pneumonia, diabetes, osteoporosis, and cancer.

Request an appointment here: https://www.titandentalcare.com or call Titan Dental Care at (703) 745-3227 for an appointment in our Sterling office.

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