You work hard to keep your smile sparkling, white, and clean. You brush and floss every day, and perhaps you use additional products such as mouthwash and teeth whitening products. When it comes time for you regular dental cleaning, you find yourself wondering, “do I really need to do this? I feel fine, and my teeth are looking pretty good, too!” You know how well you take care of your smile everyday, what you may not know, however, is that no matter how diligent you are with at-home dental care, professional cleanings are still necessary to maintain a healthy, beautiful smile.

A dentist and dental hygienist will help you avoid long-term health problems, cavities, and gum disease, because:

We Can See Things You Can’t

If you’ve ever tried to get a piece of food out of your teeth, you know how difficult it can be to see all the way into your it’s much easier for a dental professional to search for signs of cavities, plaque build-up, and signs of oral cancer. Plus, we’re trained specifically to recognize common signs of dental disease including lumps, and patchy tissue associated with oral cancer. There are certain things you just can’t effectively assess yourself, and that’s why professional cleanings are so important.

We’re Using Professional Technology

Every day when you brush and floss you’re eliminating some plaque build-up from the surface of your teeth. Plaque is a sticky film of bacteria that develops on dental enamel throughout the day. Eventually, however, dental plaque hardens into something called tartar or calculus. This mineralized bacterial layer adheres to the surface of a tooth, collecting more bacteria and contributing to dental cavities, gum disease, and inflammatory disorders. Calculus is so tough that it can only be removed with professional cleaning tool—brushing and flossing along just wont work. Additionally, our Longmont family dental office uses X-ray technology to diagnose dental decay inside and between teeth.

Don’t put your health at risk by avoiding professional dental cleanings. A combination of at-home care and semi-annual professional cleanings is the proven way to reduce your risk of dental decay and disease. Call (303) 776-4229 for more information or to speak to a Longmont family dentist.