General Dentistry » Scale and Clean
Dental health is often a reflection of your general health and poor dental hygiene can often lead to numerous general medical conditions. The bacteria in your mouth are also the bacteria which cause many major health issues from heart muscle infections to blood clots. So having open gingival (gum) pockets around your teeth, caused from periodontal disease, is an easy way for the bacteria to enter your blood stream.
Regular professional teeth cleaning can improve your general health, promote healthy gums, prevent gum recession and reduce your risk of tooth decay. A scale and polish also improves your appearance, removing stubborn teeth stains caused by coffee and wine, along with other finer things in life.
Having a sparkling white smile is a good reason to have regular cleans by the dentist - but not the only reason. Here are four important reasons why you should visit Mt Barker Dentists for professional teeth cleaning … and they may not be what you’d expect.
Regular cleaning prevents gum disease
Cleaning teeth is essential to preventing gum disease. While you probably think cavities are your biggest worry when it comes to your teeth, gum disease is a bigger threat. It can lead to both loss of teeth and loss of bone in your jaw, and is something that people can suffer from without even knowing. While regular brushing and flossing is your first line of defence, a professional clean is more thorough, removing disease-causing bacteria and calculus that you simply can’t remove yourself at home.
Screening for oral cancer
While it may not be as high profile as other types of cancer, oral cancer does exist. Like other cancers, the earlier it’s detected the better. At Mt Barker Dentists we look for the early warning signs while we are cleaning your teeth, so regular visits makes early detection more likely.
Gum disease can lead to heart attack or stroke
There’s a strong link between heart disease and the health of your mouth. Although the relationship isn’t completely understood, it’s believed that the bacteria which cause gum disease migrate into the blood vessels and cause inflammation. This in turn can lead to cardiovascular disease.
A growing body of research suggests that poor oral health may play a role in many chronic diseases. Science has shown that inflammation plays a role in both heart disease and diabetes, and chronic inflammation is increasingly being tied to poor oral health. Even rheumatoid arthritis may have ties to your mouth. Cleaning teeth regularly could be the key to protecting your heart and preventing serious disease.
Gum disease can cause problems with your joints
As joint replacements have become common, a link between gum disease and artificial joints is emerging. It appears that in those with gum disease, bacteria from the mouth can end up in the bloodstream, often from gums that bleed during brushing or flossing. This bacteria then takes up residence in the artificial joint, causing infection.
Although the link is still tentative, preventing gum disease by cleaning teeth may also help protect you from arthritis. The same studies which detected oral bacteria in artificial joints also found it in some of the patients’ natural joints which were affected by arthritis.
So while there are many reasons for professionally cleaning teeth regularly, they’re not all purely cosmetic. Not only will you have a sparkling smile, fewer cavities, and fresher breath, but professional cleaning by Mt Barker Dentists may also give you a healthier body.