When it comes to your teeth and your biannual dental cleanings, you never want to hear the “c word”: cavities! Having a cavity means you’ll be coming back to the dentist soon to have it drilled and filled. And as pleasant and comfortable as our doctors at Cambridge’s Dental Restorative Group work to make this experience for you, some patients simply can’t help the fact they have dental anxiety.
Why Brushing Alone Is Not Enough
We all know that practicing proper oral hygiene, which means brushing your teeth twice a day and flossing once a day, is an important first line of defense in preventing cavities before they start. But is that enough? Do the dental cleanings you visit our doctors for every 6 months help fight off cavities, too?
The answer is a resounding “Yes!” While it’s always important to practice proper dental hygiene, nothing can replace coming in twice a year for a teeth cleaning in our Cambridge office when it comes to fighting off cavities.
Here are a few reasons why, if you don’t want cavities, you don’t want to skip out on getting your teeth cleaned.
Teeth Cleanings Remove Cavity-Causing Tartar
In case you didn’t already know, here are the basics of how a cavity forms. When you eat, food debris is left in your mouth, which can cause bacteria to breed and form plaque. While you can brush and floss plaque away, if it sits in your mouth just a few days uncleaned – say for example, because you don’t brush hard enough or you skip out on flossing – that plaque turns into tartar. Tartar can cause tooth decay – AKA cavities.
The thing about tartar is, once it’s on your teeth, there’s no DIY solution to get it off. Only a biannual dental cleaning by one of our dental hygienists, who scrapes, or scales the teeth to rid them from tartar, can remove this dangerous substance and stop it from causing cavities.
Teeth Cleanings Reach Areas in Your Mouth You Can’t Reach Yourself
Cleanings Reach Where Brushing Cannot
You may be the poster child for practicing proper oral hygiene – a patient after our doctors’ hearts. But even if you are, there are still places your toothbrush and floss can’t reach in between your teeth. And the thing is, in between your teeth is where tartar likes to fester, and cavities like to form.
Because a teeth cleaning at our Cambridge dental practice includes scraping and scaling in between your teeth, we’re able to remove this hidden tartar every 6 months, thus preventing those “hidden” cavities from forming in between your teeth.
- Regular Dental Visits Allow Our Doctors to See Hidden Teeth Issues That Only X-rays Can Diagnose
Dental X-rays Catch Hidden Decay
An important part of a dental cleaning is getting dental X-rays. These special images reveal to our doctors the places and spaces between your teeth that can’t be viewed by the naked eye. From here, our doctors are able to tell if there’s any beginning tooth decay occurring, so they can keep a more watchful eye on that specific area.
Get Your Teeth Professionally Cleaned to Prevent Cavities
Schedule a Dental Cleaning in Cambridge
As you can see, doing everything our Cambridge doctors tell you to do isn’t enough to prevent cavities. You need to come in for biannual dental cleanings to get those hard-to-reach spaces cleaned, too.
If you’re ready to get your teeth cleaned and fight off cavities, call our Cambridge dental practice, Dental Restorative Group, today to schedule an appointment at (617) 492-5081.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Do dental cleanings prevent cavities?
Yes. Brushing twice a day and flossing once a day are an important first line of defense, but professional cleanings every six months remove tartar and reach surfaces you cannot. Both together give you the best chance of keeping cavities from forming.
How does a cavity form?
Food debris left in the mouth allows bacteria to breed and form plaque. Plaque that is not brushed or flossed away for a few days hardens into tartar. Tartar sitting on the tooth can cause tooth decay, which is what we call a cavity.
Can I remove tartar from my teeth at home?
No. Once tartar is on your teeth, there is no do-it-yourself solution to get it off. A dental hygienist scrapes, or scales, the teeth during a cleaning to remove tartar and stop it from causing cavities. That is why biannual cleanings matter.
Why are dental X-rays part of a dental cleaning?
X-rays reveal the places and spaces between your teeth that cannot be viewed by the naked eye. From those images our doctors can tell whether any early tooth decay is occurring, so they can keep a closer watch on that specific area.
How often should I get my teeth professionally cleaned?
Every six months is the standard recommendation. Twice-yearly visits let a hygienist scale between the teeth, where tartar likes to fester and hidden cavities like to form, and give our Cambridge doctors a regular look at how your teeth and gums are doing.
I have dental anxiety. Can I still get a cleaning?
Many patients feel anxious at the dentist. Our doctors at Dental Restorative Group in Cambridge work to make the experience as pleasant and comfortable as possible, and telling the team about your concerns beforehand lets them pace the visit and explain each step.
