How often do you visit the dentist? If it has been a while since your last appointment, we suggest scheduling a meeting at least twice per year to maintain your oral health. When you attend regularly, you gain professional care toward preventing the causes of tooth decay and gum disease. While your everyday oral hygiene routine forms the basis for removing bacterial plaque, we can inspect the results of your efforts and can highlight areas of your mouth that require additional service. Receiving a semiannual cleaning also helps remove tartar buildup that you cannot treat on your own at home. A preventive attitude towards visiting the dentist means not waiting until a painful symptom appears to make an appointment.
At your Ankeny, IA dental practice, we encourage you to make routine dental checkups every six months. We can help you prevent and treat the cause of tooth decay by cleaning and examining your teeth. If we do discover a cavity at your appointment, regular visits allow us to catch and treat them before they grow even larger.
How Dental Plaque Destroys Your Enamel And Causes Cavities
Dental plaques form when oral bacteria fuse with food debris on the surface of your teeth. Each time you enjoy a meal or snack, you provide the opportunity for plaque to form as food provides the fuel bacteria need to multiply. By brushing and flossing regularly, you keep your teeth clean by removing this sticky film. Left untreated, your plaque produces an acidic waste product that weakens the protective enamel layer of your teeth. Eventually, the breakdown of your enamel creates permanent holes that expose the inside of your tooth. As cavities grow, they destroy more of your tooth’s healthy material and can potentially cause painful infections. This is why attending the dentist helps you remove the source of cavities or detect existing ones before they cause further harm.
Treating Your Cavity
We can stop the spread of tooth decay by removing your cavity and placing a restoration to seal your injured tooth. When your treatment requires a dental filling, we drill out your decaying materials and insert finely ground acrylic that matches the natural shade of your tooth. This protective seal helps prevent oral bacteria from reinfecting your tooth and continuing the decay process.
Talk To Your Ankeny, IA, Dentist About Treating And Preventing Tooth Decay
Regular trips to the dentist help you clean your teeth and prevent the cause of decay and disease. 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.
