‘Spring Cleaning’ for Your Mouth

According to the Academy of General Dentistry, a professional dental cleaning at least twice a year can improve your oral health. While ‘Spring cleaning’ means sorting the garage or washing windows to some, Hillcrest San Diego dentist Dr. Doug Disraeli recommends a professional teeth cleaning this Spring, emphasizing the importance of maintaining good oral hygiene.

“Regular dental check-ups and professional teeth cleanings can prevent major oral problems,” says Dr. Disraeli. “When you’re compiling your ‘Spring cleaning’ to-do list, be sure to consider a ‘Spring cleaning’ for not just the home and garden, but for healthy and clean teeth as well.”

Benefits of ‘Spring cleaning’ for your mouth include:

• Maintaining good oral hygiene: During a professional teeth cleaning, the dentist or dental hygienist will ensure that you are maintaining good oral hygiene by visual examination and comparing your previous dental check ups. Recent studies link heart attacks and strokes to gum disease, resulting from poor oral hygiene.

• Preventing oral cancer: Every hour someone dies from oral cancer in the United States, according to The Oral Cancer Foundation. During professional dental cleanings, oral cancer is screened for and it is curable if diagnosed early.

• Preventing gum disease: Gum disease is one of the leading causes of adult tooth loss, and according to the American Dental Association there is evidence that bacteria in the mouth associated with gum disease may be linked to heart disease, artery blockages and stroke. With regular dental cleanings, as well as brushing twice daily and flossing daily, gum disease can be avoidable. If diagnosed early, it can be treated and reversed.

• Preventing dental problems: Early signs of problems with your teeth or gums can be detected during a professional teeth cleaning. Early detection of cavities, broken fillings and gum disease are treatable