Why You Shouldn't Ignore Your Annual Dental Exam

You’ve been doing well brushing your teeth. You even manage to floss occasionally. When you look in the mirror, you don’t see any major problems.

So when you get the reminder call about your annual dental exam and cleaning, you’re tempted to think everything is fine and maybe just this once you can skip it.

As we’ll see below, this is dangerous thinking. Here at Portrait Dental, our team believes you should never ignore your annual dental exam. Here are a few reasons why.

Your teeth need professional cleaning

Just like your house, your teeth need a good deep cleaning once or twice a year. You may be doing a fantastic job brushing your teeth, but bacteria and plaque build up over time, and your toothbrush just isn’t strong enough to remove it all. 

Our team at Portrait Dental will use professional-grade tools to clean your teeth, removing any buildup of plaque, tartar, and bacteria. This will help prevent cavities, gum disease, and bad breath.

To protect your oral health

If bacteria and plaque are allowed to linger, they can cause serious oral health issues, ranging from cavities to gingivitis to periodontitis. If these issues continue to be left untreated, they can lead to severe pain, tooth loss, and issues with your jawbone. In addition, you’ll also be screened for any signs of oral cancer, and dental X-rays will help your dentist look for any problems you can’t spot with the naked eye.

The idea behind regular exams is to catch any problems while they’re still small and easily treatable. This will save you time and money while preventing unnecessary pain and suffering. If you skip your exams and show up at the office after a few years, you may have some serious trouble in your mouth.

In addition, your oral health affects your overall health. Bacteria and infections in your mouth can get into your bloodstream and circulate to the rest of your body, leading to trouble with organs such as your heart.

To brighten your smile

You can brush your teeth as hard as you want, but you won’t make your smile much brighter. A professional cleaning will do a much better job brightening your smile. If you want to kick things up a notch, you can even undergo an in-office whitening procedure while you’re there that can make your smile up to eight times whiter.

If you’re due (or overdue) for a dental cleaning, Dr. Minh Nguyen and the caring team at Portrait Dental will give you prompt, professional service. Just call the office to book an appointment, and we’ll have your teeth sparkling in no time!