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Have you been staying on top of booking cleanings and exams with your dentist? Regular visits help you adopt a preventive attitude toward your oral care. This means tackling the causes of tooth decay and gum disease before they can set in. When you wait for painful symptoms to appear, it is often far along in the disease process, but regular exams can detect cavities and infections before they become more severe.

At your Baxter, MN dental practice, we help you protect your smile from bacterial buildup to strengthen your smile. Maintaining a consistent schedule helps us identify your problem areas and provide valuable advice for cleaning your teeth. Stopping decay from occurring can help you prevent costly, involved procedures further down the line.

Your Routine Cleanings Help Prevent Tartar Buildup

When bacterial plaque hardens into a substance called tartar, it can pose a real danger to your oral health. Tartar is similar to plaque in that it contains harmful bacteria that lead to cavities and gum disease but with a twist. The calcification process makes tartar resistant to your at-home brushing and flossing techniques. When bacterial buildup reaches this stage, your only option for removal is a professional cleaning. At your semiannual checkups, your dental hygienist can remove tartar and help reduce your risk for decay and disease.

Examinations Provide Information About The State Of Your Teeth And Gums

The examination portion of your checkup creates a dialogue between you and your dentist to provide an update on your oral health. At this time, your dentist will let you know if any new developments have taken place since your last visit. These inspections become vital as they provide an opportunity to detect problems early when they may be more easily treatable. A person who attends six-month checkups is far more likely to discover a cavity when it is small than a person who waits for painful symptoms.

Allowing tooth decay to go unnoticed is a real concern when you do not attend regular examinations. Because infections result from bacteria entering the inner portion of your tooth through a break in the enamel, failure to remove decay can have very painful consequences. To prevent decay from reaching this point, adopt a proactive attitude toward taking care of your teeth!

Speak With Your Baxter, MN Dentist About Regular Dental Exams

When you receive regular exams and dental cleanings, you gain protection from common oral threats that can affect anyone. Greenhaven Family Dental can help you prevent dental decay and gum disease through regular cleanings, and we are prepared to provide treatment when cavities or disease take hold. If you would like to find out more about what our practice is here to do for you, please contact your Baxter, MN, dentist, Dr. Roberts, at (218) 454-0523.