Why You Should Have a Dental Checkup and Professional Teeth Cleaning Twice a Year

 Your dental regimen is solid — you brush, floss, and rinse regularly. So, why do you need bi-annual dental check-ups and professional cleanings? Well, there are several excellent answers to this question

And in this blog, Board-Certified Dentist Danny Jeon, D.M.D., breaks those down.

At Tucker Family Dental, located in the Tucker and Atlanta, Georgia areas since 2005,

Dr. Jeon understands that achieving excellent dental health and preserving your beautiful smile comes with comprehensive preventive care. 

The first, and arguably the most important, preventive step is to ensure that your teeth are professionally cleaned regularly. Here’s why.

Dental health by the numbers

While scare tactics may not be the best motivators, it's essential to understand what’s at stake when you don’t look after your dental health. As we already mentioned, 178 million Americans are missing at least one tooth, but it may surprise you that 40 million adults in the United States are missing all of their teeth.

The primary drivers of tooth loss are gum disease and tooth decay, and the numbers surrounding these two conditions are equally as eye-opening:

• 91% of Americans over the age of 20 have at least one cavity
• 27% of the same group have untreated dental caries (tooth decay)
• More than 47% of adults 30 years and older have some form of gum disease
• About 70% of adults 65 years and older have periodontal disease

Our objective in presenting these numbers is twofold: 1) To underscore the prevalence of these dental health issues, and 2) To point out that both tooth decay and gum disease are progressive, which means we can take steps during the earliest stages to prevent you from becoming one of these statistics.

Professional teeth cleaning stops disease and decay

When you come for a regular professional cleaning every six months, we check your mouth for the early stages of both tooth decay and gum disease.

First, during your cleaning, we can spot inflammation along your gum lin is a key indicator of the early stages of gum disease, also called gingivitis. We also clear away the bacteria-harboring plaque along your gums, which can often halt the progression of gum disease.

Also, when we clean your teeth, we can identify cavities or note areas of sensitivity, which we can investigate further with digital imaging. Tooth decay often develops in hard-to-reach places that regular brushing alone can’t handle, but our expertise and our technology can. They enable us to take swift action before it compromises your entire tooth.

What is a dental screening?

Dental exams and screenings are tools our team uses to check your mouth and teeth for problems. Dr. Jeon may take X-rays of your mouth and jaw to assess the health of your jawbone or tooth roots. He checks for signs of tooth decay or gum disease.

He also asks you about any problems you've had with your teeth, such as pain or sensitivity, and looks for any tissue abnormalities that could indicate cancer.

Regular dental exams — why they’re important

Regular dental exams allow Dr. Jeon to catch problems early on. The earlier he finds decay or gum disease, the more manageable the situation becomes.

A cavity can creep up on you without you knowing it. The decay might not cause pain or sensitivity until the cavity is large. With early detection, Dr. Jeon can fix the problem before it damages more of your tooth.

If your gums are swollen or bleed easily, Dr. Jeon may want to see you more often. Gum disease that progresses to a more severe stage, periodontitis, can lead to infection and tooth loss.

If you’re overdue for your bi-annual dental cleaning and checkup, make an appointment today. Call the office at (678) 233-2945 or request an appointment using the online booking tool.