A radiant, healthy smile does more than make you look good – it keeps you free from pain, disease, and costly dental restorations. One of the best ways you can keep your teeth and gums healthy is to see your dentist regularly for check-ups and professional cleanings. Below, the dentists at K&E Advanced Dentistry in Franklin, OH explain why dental visits are an important part of your health care and how they can help keep your smile not only looking, but also feeling great!

Why dental visits are important for your health

A routine dental visit consists of two important components:

• A professional cleaning, also called oral prophylaxis
• A thorough examination of your teeth and gums by the dentist

The first part, the professional cleaning, benefits you in multiple ways. Plaque is a sticky film of bacteria that forms on teeth that can harden over time into tartar. When tartar has formed, it is impossible to remove with brushing and flossing at home, and a professional cleaning is the only way to eliminate it from the surfaces of your teeth. Why is this important? Because the plaque and tartar are direct contributors to oral health problems such as cavities, infections, and gum disease. When you get your teeth cleaned regularly, it can help prevent these issues from forming.

In addition, during a professional cleaning, one of our dental hygienists will polish your teeth with professional-grade tools, which removes stains on the surface of your teeth for a whiter smile. We also floss deep within your teeth to eliminate any buildup that has formed between them and remove any debris from the cleaning and polishing. The result is pearly, clean teeth that contribute to a beautiful, healthy-looking smile.

In addition to cleaning your teeth, our dental team performs several tasks to examine the health of your teeth, gums, and other mouth tissues. In addition to a visual check by the dentist to ensure that your teeth and gums look healthy, this may include x-rays to determine whether there are any cavities that are forming that are not visible to the unassisted eye.

The dentist will carefully check your tongue, throat, and external mouth tissues to ensure that there are no warning signs of issues such as oral cancer.

Additionally, a special tool is used to check how deep the space between your teeth and gums is – ideally, they are shallow, and if you have deep spaces, it can indicate that your gums are inflamed, or gum disease has started to develop. When gum disease is caught in its early stage, known as gingivitis, it is much easier to control, and less invasive measures are needed to restore your gums to health. When left untreated, gum disease can cause serious issues not only for your oral health, such as gum recession and tooth loss, but also your overall health. Gum disease has been linked to a variety of deadly issues such as heart attacks and strokes, so keeping your gums healthy is good for both your teeth and your overall wellbeing!

Timely, effective treatment

If any issues are identified during your visit, our doctors will talk with you about the best treatment options for your individual oral health. The good news is that with regular dental visits, the time and money needed to restore your mouth back to health can be minimized because issues such as cavities and gum disease are much easier to manage when they are caught early on.

Convenient dental care for your busy schedule

At K&E Advanced Dentistry, we understand that our patients’ lives are more hectic than ever before. That’s why we offer several options to help you get dental care quickly and conveniently. We have our office near the Atrium Medical Center in Franklin, OH. We also offer online appointment requests and are open until 8 pm every weekday, as well as on Saturdays, so that you can fit your dental care into your busy work or family schedule. For patients who do not have dental insurance, we offer dental savings plans to help ensure your care is affordable and fits within your budget.

Call us at (855) 912-7677 to schedule your appointment, or request an appointment online by clicking “Book an Appointment” at https://www.kedentistry.com/.