You keep your car fairly clean, regularly removing the dirt, garbage, and general “stuff” that tends to accumulate. Every once in a while, however, you treat yourself to a professional detailing, and you realize that you were merely scratching the surface with your efforts. This same concept holds true for your teeth and gums, except here we’re dealing with something far more important — your dental health.
If you want to preserve your ability to talk, chew, and smile with ease, for years to come, regular professional teeth cleanings with the team here at McLean Aura Dentistry are one of the most powerful weapons in your dental health arsenal.
Under the guidance of Drs. Chang Yi and Negar Tehrani, our team has pulled together a few of the many reasons why regular professional teeth cleaning is so very important.
Dental health by the numbers
Let’s first start with a few eye-opening statistics concerning dental health in the United States:
- More than 47% of adults over the age of 30 have some form of gum disease
- 92% of adults between the ages of 20 and 64 have had dental caries (cavities) in their permanent teeth
- 178 million people are missing at least one tooth
- 40 million adults are missing all of their teeth
The last two stats about missing teeth are largely driven by the first two on the list, as periodontitis and tooth decay are the two primary forces behind tooth loss.
It’s safe to say that many of these people have excellent cleaning regimens, but gum disease and tooth decay can be persistent.
Detailing your teeth and gums
While a daily regimen that includes brushing, flossing, and rinsing provides a fantastic foundation for healthy teeth and gums, a thorough cleaning with our dental hygienists provides the detailing your teeth and gums need.
During your professional cleaning, we use specialized tools and equipment to access those hard-to-reach places in between teeth, around your molars, and under your gum line that your regular efforts may not adequately address.
Preventive care
During your teeth cleaning with us, we’re able to evaluate your teeth up close, allowing us to catch the early signs of tooth decay or gum disease.
For example, if we notice some inflammation around your gums, this is an early stage of gum disease called gingivitis. Through our professional cleaning, we’re able to remove the bacteria and tartar from your gum line and halt the gum disease in its tracks.
By the same token, if we notice any dental caries, or cavities, we can quickly clean out the tooth decay and plug the cavity with a filling, preventing the decay from spreading.
While we’re on the lookout for common problems like gum disease and tooth decay, we also take the opportunity during your teeth cleaning to check the health of the soft tissues in your mouth.
Brightening your smile
If the health benefits of regular professional teeth cleaning haven’t swayed you completely, the added bonus of stain removal and polishing should. As we clear away plaque and tartar, we also remove tough stains that brushing alone can’t accomplish.
Then, at the end of your teeth cleaning session, we provide your teeth with a great polish, making them noticeably whiter and brighter.
A regular practice
When it comes to a timeline, we recommend that you see us every six months for professional teeth cleaning.
The bottom line is that you have everything to gain and nothing to lose from professional teeth cleaning. To schedule your cleaning with us today, simply contact our office in McLean, Virginia.
