If you’ve gotten behind on your dental cleaning (Kearny Mesa) over the past year and a half, you’re not alone. Because of COVID-19, a lot of people are past due for their dental checkups. Fortunately, our dentist in Kearny Mesa is working hard to get everyone caught back up on their preventative care appointments.
Here are five reasons why it’s so important for you to stay caught up on your dental cleanings.
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Most of Us are Behind on Dental Checkups
With the COVID shutdowns, social distancing, and people out of work, preventative dental care wasn’t exactly a priority. Even dental offices nationwide were forced to close because of a lack of PPE. Now that things are opening back up again, some of us are behind on our teeth cleaning (specialist Kearny Mesa can help!) by more than a year. Six months is the ideal time from one checkup to the next, so that means a lot of tartar buildup and potential issues that need attention.
Even if you’ve got great oral hygiene, it’s fairly common to see some minor tartar buildup from one checkup to the next. If you’ve gone longer than six months since your last dental cleaning, the tartar may have gotten out of hand. Once plaque calcifies into tartar, there’s no way for you to physically remove it with a toothbrush or floss.
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You Want to Reverse Issues While You Still Can
Seeing a dentist near you means you can address minor dental problems while they’re still reversible. For instance, you can intercept gingivitis before it turns into gum disease and bone loss. Or if there’s an area of minor tooth demineralization, you can remineralize the enamel before a physical cavity develops. But the key is professional dental care, cleanings, fluoride, and great oral hygiene. Without that combination, those conditions will continually worsen.
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We Can Intercept Problems While They’re Still Small
An advantage of seeing your dentist every six months is being able to pinpoint and treat dental problems while they’re small. A tiny cavity is best treated with a small, minimally-invasive dental filling. But if you’re skipping dental checkups and the cavity goes several months without being detected, it will spread deeper into the tooth as well as adjacent teeth. By the point you finally get back to see the dentist, you may be looking at multiple fillings and/or even a root canal and crown. Your tooth might not even hurt! Taking advantage of those preventative appointments will save you the headache of major dental work you didn’t know you were going to need.
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Your Insurance Covers Two Cleanings Per Year
The majority of our patients have insurance coverage that includes two dental cleanings per year. Since insurance is typically prevention-based, you want to take advantage of what’s covered at 100%, otherwise, you’re practically throwing away money. Preventative care statistically reduces your chances of needing fillings, crowns, and other types of treatment, essentially saving you hundreds of dollars or more in the future.
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Gum Disease is the #1 Cause of Tooth Loss
Periodontal disease (gum disease) is the leading cause of tooth loss in adults. It’s also preventable. What starts as gingivitis can easily progress into gum detachment and bone loss without ongoing preventative care and professional cleanings. By the point the tissues begin to pull away from the roots of your teeth, you can no longer address the issue with home care. Professional cleanings safely remove the tartar buildup along and below the gumlines so that we can stabilize the infection and maintain attachment levels.
On a related note, untreated gum disease is also statistically linked to major underlying health problems. Conditions like stroke, heart disease, pneumonia, infertility, and diabetes are all directly correlated with the severity of periodontal infections. By keeping routine dental cleanings, you can secondarily improve your overall wellness.
Flexible Scheduling Available
Contact Landmark Dental Arts today for your dental cleaning Kearny Mesa. Our dentist near you is currently accepting new patients. Call now to reserve your next appointment.