Nobody is super excited to go see the dentist, however, it is a necessary evil. Your oral health has so many effects on your overall mental and physical health. When we don’t like our smiles, our self-esteem is affected. Furthermore, a crooked smile can lead to many issues, from being difficult to brush and remaining clean. Seeing your dentist every six months and cleaning your teeth daily is important to ensure that your oral health is in check. Let’s take a look at some of the dental procedures explained in more detail.
Teeth Cleaning
While you clean your teeth at home with a toothbrush, mouthwash, and floss, that isn’t enough. You need to have your teeth professionally cleaned in order to ensure that everything is in tip-top condition. When you have a plaque that is stuck in different areas and not easily removed with a toothbrush, it can turn into tartar, which is a hard substance that you simply cannot remove at home. This means that your teeth will need professional cleaning to get that tartar removed. We all try our best to remove plaque with every cleaning, but there are inevitably different areas that are missed. Once plaque has started, it will deteriorate your teeth even more and cause pain, loosen teeth, or cause you to have your teeth removed if left without treatment.
It is recommended that you schedule professional teeth cleaning every 6 months for most people. However, if you have a plaque issue or periodontal disease, or gingivitis, it might be recommended to clean them every four months.
Fillings
When tartar and plaque are left on the teeth, it can cause the tooth’s enamel to break down and become a cavity. Cavities need to be tended to immediately so they don’t become bigger issues in the future. However, you won’t always know you have a cavity if you aren’t going to your regular checkups for proper cleaning. Cavities don’t always hurt. During your cleanings, your local dentist in Boronia can catch your cavities before they get too deep and can fill them with a material that matches the colour of your teeth. When cavities are left alone, they will only get worse. This can lead to needing a more expensive and invasive procedure such as a root canal.
Root Canals and Crowns
Root canals are necessary when a cavity has hit the root of the tooth, or the tooth’s root has died from trauma or other reasons. This requires the dentist to drill down into the tooth and clear out the old root matter and replace it. Root canals are quite often not painful as the tooth is dead. But this is more expensive than just getting a basic filling.
A crown is then placed over the tooth that has a root canal to strengthen it.
Tooth Extractions
Another common option for those with diseased teeth is getting the tooth extracted. While this might seem excessive, if the tooth is diseased, you don’t want it to remain in your body. This can cause a slew of health problems. After an extraction, you can speak to your dentist regarding getting a dental implant or bridge to fill in the hole where the tooth was.
