When you think of dental cleanings, you might be inclined to conclude they have more to do with helping you look better than feel better, but with today's advanced scientific understanding of how the human body works and what poses a threat to its healthy functioning, it's becoming abundantly clear that a clean mouth means much more than taking a better selfie: Dental health is directly related to overall well being, with significant implications for disease prevention, including those that can cut your life short.
How You Get All That Plaque In Your Mouth To Begin With
While you probably don't even want to think about the slimy microscopic organisms …show more content…
Not brushing after each meal: Whether you're on the go or dining at your desk, you still need to care for teeth after every meal, to combat the growth of bacteria. Consuming an excess of sugar and carbohydrates: While your diet should be balanced to keep your insides healthy, it's also important for teeth; bacteria feed on sweets and carbs, giving you more reason to opt for healthy vegetables that can clean teeth naturally as you eat. Not flossing: Only around 30 percent of people report that they floss every day, leaving the other 70 at the mercy of bacterial growth between teeth. Flossing is such a quick and easy way to maintain oral health, everyone should make it a habit. Avoiding the dentist: Especially if you spent many hours in the dentist chair growing up, having teeth pulled or filled, as an adult, you may make the subconscious decision to skip the experience; however, just because there's no one telling you that you have cavities or the beginning of gum disease doesn't mean these conditions aren't flourishing in your mouth. Avoiding, in this case, may simply be delaying the …show more content…
This is why an in-depth cleaning is so essential, beyond the aesthetics of having a pearly-white smile. That professional cleaning, even though it only happens every six months or so, serves your health and wellness in so many ways:
Eliminating the plaque that will transform into tarter, eating away at tooth enamel. Removing the bacteria-laden goop between teeth and hidden in back teeth, which leads to bad breath. Giving you a better chance at fighting cavities before they can form serious compromises on the surface of teeth, requiring even greater measures. Freeing up your immune system, which is at constant work when you have a mouth full of bacteria. Fighting off gingivitis, the painful gum disease that leads to swelling, bleeding and possibly severe consequences, right down to the bones supporting your teeth. Protecting your bloodstream from having plaque (from your mouth) run rampant through it, which may eventually deposit in your arteries