At Beacon Family Dentistry in Jacksonville, FL, we provide thorough dental cleanings for your entire family. There are important reasons why every member of your family should have regular dental cleanings, even your young children.
Children’s teeth are just as susceptible to decay as adult teeth. Decay is a vicious cycle. Patients who have cavities in childhood are more likely to have them as adults. Even older adults, who no longer have all their natural teeth, should receive routine cleanings. Regular dental cleanings are part of preventing dental decay, gum disease, jawbone recession, oral cancer, and diagnosing dental problems as early as possible to avoid the need for more extensive dentistry. Regular dental cleanings at six-month or less intervals can save you significant time in the dental chair…and, of course, oral health care expenses.
Along with daily brushing and flossing, regular dental cleanings are among the most important factors in the fight against decay and gum disease. This is because your mouth naturally contains certain amounts of bacteria. Some bacteria are harmful, because when they feed on sugar, they create an acid that erodes tooth enamel. The erosion causes cavities that grow unless they are cleaned out and filled. We want to spot cavities early so fillings can be as small as possible and your risk of more decay can be lowered.
Bacteria on your teeth will build up between dental cleanings. If this buildup, called “dental plaque,” stays too long or grows too much along the gum line, it irritates the gum tissue to the point of your gums pulling away from your teeth. This pulling away forms “gum pockets,” where more plaque can grow inside. As the pockets grow, you may suffer gum recession, tooth loss, and bone degeneration. Fortunately, routine cleanings can prevent these problems from occurring.
Some people are more susceptible than others to gum disease and decay. For a variety of reasons, your daily oral hygiene may be insufficient to remove most of the bacteria so we may recommend the use of a WaterPik water flosser, more frequent dental cleanings in our office, or other tactics to keep plaque, dental caries, and gum inflammation under control.
Are you and your Jacksonville area family members in need of a dental cleaning and oral health checkup? Give us a call today! Call Give us a call today! Call (904) 513-0712..