Have you visited your dentist in the last six months? We encourage scheduling a cleaning and examination twice per year to help you take a preventive attitude toward your oral health. By attending on a routine basis, you receive valuable care that complements your hygiene routine at home. While brushing and flossing your teeth form the basis for fighting tooth decay and gum disease, we can help remove plaque and tartar deposits that become too difficult to remove on your own. When we inspect the results of your daily habits, we can create a dental record and notify you of any sudden changes in your oral cavity. This helps us both prevent problems and catch them early before they grow out of hand. Because a problem like gum disease could be reversed in its first stage, gingivitis, regular trips to the dental chair can keep away a more permanent problem.
At your Ankeny, IA dental practice, we would like to help you maintain a healthy smile when you stay on top of your checkup schedule. While some people wait until symptoms like toothaches appear to call the dentist, this often means a disease process has been developing untreated for a significant amount of time. By focusing on the benefits of standard dental checkups, you can help prevent cavities and threats that cause dental loss.
How Cavities Form In Your Smile
When you brush and floss your teeth daily, you remove debris and oral bacteria that can eventually form plaque on the surface of your teeth. This sticky film coats your enamel, and as bacteria feed, they produce an acidic waste product that weakens the outer layer. Left untreated, this eventually causes holes that expose the sensitive dentin layer inside. Eventually, this can lead to painful infections as your tooth’s healthy material continues to degrade, exposing your inner pulp chamber. But by visiting your dentist semiannually, we can help you stay on top of your oral hygiene and alert you when plaque is building up. If we notice a cavity, we can provide immediate treatment during the same visit.
A Treatment To Remove Decay
To treat your decay and restore your tooth, we will first numb the affected area with a local anesthetic. Using special tools, we can clear away all decay and polish the surface of your tooth, leaving behind only healthy material. Depending on the size and scope of your damage, we can place a filling or dental crown to restore the outer seal of your compromised enamel.
Talk To Your Ankeny, IA, Dentist About Scheduling A Checkup
By visiting your dentist regularly, you prioritize your oral health and prevent decay from developing with periodic cleanings. This preventive attitude can be much more effective than reacting to painful symptoms and enduring dental damage. To schedule a visit, please call our Ankeny, IA, dentist’s office at (515) 965-0230. We also serve patients from Alleman, Elkhart, Bondurant, and all surrounding communities.
