When it comes to keeping your oral health in order, your dentist is your best friend. By visiting at least twice a year, you gain peace of mind knowing you are doing your best to fight gum disease and tooth decay. While your daily brushing and flossing routine provides the basis for your oral hygiene, each dental appointment allows your dentist to examine the results of your at-home efforts. Furthermore, using special tools, your dentist can remove plaque and tartar deposits beyond the scope of your capabilities on your own. This is why maintaining a regular attendance schedule is so important instead of waiting until you experience a painful symptom to visit.
At your Ankeny, IA dentist’s office, we help you improve your oral health by removing the source of tooth decay and gum disease. At each visit to our office, we clean your teeth to prevent cavity formation and detect oral threats before they become worse.
How The Buildup Of Plaque Causes Tooth Decay
Every time you enjoy a meal or sugary drink, particles in your food create the opportunity for oral bacteria to feed and create a sticky film of plaque on the surface of your teeth. This is why regular brushing and flossing is required to keep your teeth clean and prevent plaque from continuing to build. Otherwise, the continual feeding of bacteria produces an acidic byproduct that can lead to the weakening of your enamel. As the enamel breaks down, holes or cavities form that expose the insides of your tooth to potential infection. By visiting your dentist regularly, you can remove plaque and detect cavities before they cause more harm.
Removing Cavities and Restoring Your Tooth
When your dentist discovers a cavity at your checkup and cleaning, they will usually recommend placing a filling to maintain the health of your tooth and stop the decay process. Timely visits to the dentist increase your chances of catching tooth decay before it progresses and requires a more involved procedure like the placement of a dental crown or tooth extraction. Modern filling materials allow your restoration to blend in naturally with your teeth to return the beauty of your smile as well. Your new filling will seal the outside of the tooth to prevent oral bacteria from reentering and infecting the tooth
Speak With Your Ankeny, IA, Dentist About Treating And Preventing Tooth Decay
To improve your oral health and protect your smile, schedule time for a dental checkup and examination regularly. If you would like to find out more about our practice or have questions about other oral health concerns, please call your Ankeny, IA, dentist’s office at (515) 965-0230 to schedule a visit. We proudly serve patients from Alleman, Elkhart, Bondurant, and other surrounding communities.
