A survey by the American Dental Association found that 42% of Americans don’t visit the dentist as often as they’d like.
The bottom line is that almost half of the American population is neglecting a significant facet of their health, whether it’s because they don’t have the time or don’t want to pay the money.
Your oral health may not seem as important as your physical health, but it is more important than you think. There are many little-known benefits of dental cleaning, and neglecting your teeth can cause a lot of risks down the road.
Read on to discover the three professional dental cleaning benefits, and what can happen if you neglect your oral health.
1. Detect Oral Health Issues Early
The most important reason to have your teeth professionally cleaned by a dentist twice a year is so your dentist can detect any problems early.
Although there are obvious signs of oral health problems, like pain and inflammation, some dental issues can only be detected by a thorough inspection and dental x-rays. If you don’t visit the dentist regularly, problems like gum disease and tooth decay can get progressively worse.
Going to the dentist for bi-yearly dental cleanings helps detect gum disease and tooth decay before they become serious issues. When left untreated, tooth decay may require painful surgery or extraction – that’s why regular checkups can save you a lot of pain.
2. Save Time and Money
When oral health problems are left untreated, they cost a fortune later on. For instance, having tooth decay and not detecting it early means you’ll eventually have to fork out for a root canal or a dental implant to replace the affected tooth.
And suppose you don’t visit your dentist as often as you should because you have a busy schedule. In that case, you should know that neglecting your oral health can waste even more of your precious time.
Dental surgeries to save or replace a tooth can easily cost thousands of dollars if you don’t have dental insurance.
You can avoid these hefty costs by going to the dentist for regular checkups and cleanings. It’s a no-brainer: scheduling dental checkups and cleanings twice a year will end up costing a lot less than having to pay for a surgical procedure that will cost a lot of money and time.
3. Improve Your Overall Health and Wellbeing
Neglecting your oral health doesn’t just affect your teeth – it can also adversely affect other areas of your health.
Some people avoid the dentist because they do not think oral health is as important as being in good physical shape, eating healthily, and looking after their bodies. Poor oral health has been linked to several severe illnesses and can even lead to heart disease.
You may also experience other health conditions like insomnia and migraines if you have untreated tooth decay. If a decaying tooth is neglected for too long, harmful bacteria can seep into your bloodstream and cause a severe bacterial infection.
By going for regular dental cleanings, your dentist may also catch other health conditions like cancer, which, when caught early, can even save your life.
