Dentists encourage their patients to come for cleanings at least twice a year, but many patients put off going to the dental office for cleanings for quite a bit of time. While some people stick with their routine appointments, others wait years before having their teeth carefully cleaned by a dental professional. If you are the kind of person who often avoids the dental office simply because it is not your favorite place, you should be aware of the benefits that comes from a simple dental cleaning while learning more about the reasons you should not skip that next visit.

Plaque Can Eventually Turn Into Tartar

Plaque is something that appears on the teeth and between them. It develops over time due to bacteria in the mouth. It is usually easy enough to remove plaque when flossing and brushing, but the dentist can remove plaque in areas where you might not notice it as much, such as the back teeth where the molars are typically located. If you do not have plaque removed, it starts turning into tartar. Unlike plaque, tartar is not something you can simply remove with a piece of floss or your toothbrush. The plaque hardens and then it becomes susceptible to staining based on what you are eating and drinking, which means it can quickly turn yellow.

When tartar develops, it can start to have a bad odor to it, which can contribute to bad breath. Aside from potentially having bad breath because of the tartar, your teeth may begin to look discolored. If you want your teeth to look as clean as possible, you need to see a dentist who can remove the plaque and completely prevent the tartar from even appearing in the first place.

You May End Up Dealing With Frequent Bad Breath

Too much bacteria in the mouth can quickly cause your breath to smell unpleasant. Dealing with bad breath is often frustrating and embarrassing. You may feel uncomfortable talking to people because you are afraid that they will notice your breath does not smell so good. Avoid this kind of problem by going to the office for those dental cleanings. During a dental cleaning, the dentist will use certain tools, such as a scaler, to quickly get rid of the plaque and any tartar that is starting to accumulate between the teeth. As a result, you can have much fresher breath that does not have such a bad odor to it.

You Will Not Know If Anything is Wrong

Unless you are randomly experiencing a lot of pain inside your mouth, you are not going to know if any issues are developing unless you see a dentist. While the dentist is cleaning your teeth, he or she is taking a good look around to identify potential problems. Some of these problems include severe decay of a single tooth or several teeth, signs of periodontal disease, and even erosion of the teeth. Most experienced dentists have trained eyes that allow them to quickly identify these issues, but they will also use X-ray equipment to find out if there are any problems that need fixing. It is better to have the problems dealt with quickly before they get worse and you end up experiencing some serious aches and pains.

If you want your teeth to look perfectly polished and healthy, stop putting off those dental visits and make your appointment with a dentist you can trust. If you find a caring, patient, and professional dentist such as those at Family Dentistry Of Woodstock, you will feel more comfortable with having cleanings done, along with any other work you might need to have done. By going to the dentist regularly, you can avoid dealing with a massive buildup of tartar, prevent bad breath from developing, and have dental problems identified quickly.