Why You Should NOT Skip Your Dental Cleaning

At Harford County Dentistry, we provide patients with the preventative care services they need to maintain their dental health for a lifetime. Preventative dentistry includes dental cleanings, exams, x-rays, and any other service necessary to keep an eye on your developing or aging smile throughout the years.

Patients should receive preventative dentistry services from their dental care provider once every six months. If it has been over six months since the last time you sat in the dental chair, consider these three reasons why you shouldn’t skip your next dental cleaning.

Plaque & Tartar Buildup

During your biannual dental cleanings, a trained dental hygienist will remove any plaque or tartar buildup along your gum line. Plaque and tartar buildup threatens your dental health and can lead to unwanted dental concerns left untreated.

The buildup develops when food residue is left behind on your smile following meals or snacks.

If allowed to harden, the buildup becomes more difficult to remove during your standard at-home oral hygiene routine. Even patients with the strictest oral hygiene routines still experience plaque and tartar buildup requiring treatment by a trained dental professional.

The bacteria in this buildup is the source of many advanced dental concerns. Your smile gets a fresh start after each dental cleaning, stopping dental concerns like gum disease or tooth decay from developing in the first place.

Dental Concerns Get Worse Over Time

It is possible to have a dental concern without ever even noticing it. Many dental concerns do not cause noticeable symptoms until after they have progressed to an advanced stage.

Following your dental cleaning, a dental exam is included in each preventative dentistry appointment. Dr. Kimberley Comeau, your local Fallston, MD dentist, will evaluate your smile for underlying dental concerns that may impact your smile.

The goal is to catch minor issues before they develop into major dental concerns. By scheduling your dental cleanings and exams once every six months, Dr. Comeau is able to keep a close eye on your smile, potentially saving you from needing costly restorative dentistry treatment later on.

The longer you go without addressing a dental concern, the more likely it is to get worse over time and require more invasive treatment.

Use It Or Lose It

You’ve worked hard for your dental insurance benefits. We would hate to see them go to waste. As the holidays arrive, it’s important to schedule your final dental cleaning of the year before time runs out.

The thing to know about dental insurance benefits is that they expire at the end of each year and do not roll over for future use.

You should take advantage of any unused dental benefits before the year’s end. Harford County Dentistry accepts most dental insurance. You can find a complete list here.