Four Ways a Dental Cleaning Can Improve Your Overall Health

A routine dental cleaning can prevent cavities and tooth decay. The cleanings are a protective measure that prevents plaque and tartar buildup in the hard-to-reach areas of the mouth.

Just like oral health affects systemic health, dental cleanings are also beneficial to overall health. It may have something to do with the fact that the mouth is the main gateway to the rest of the body. Keep reading to find out how regular checkups and teeth cleaning improve your general health.

Benefits of dental cleaning on oral health

Dentists clean the teeth in the second half of a routine dental check. The first half of the checkup is just as important. It allows the dentist to monitor the health of the oral cavity, the head, the throat, and the neck. This monitoring phase is essential in:

• The early detection, reversal, or treatment of cavities
• Detection of problems like teeth grinding, fractures, and other injuries
• Monitoring of gum health by measuring the depth of gum pockets
• Oral cancer screening where the dentist checks for patches, bumps, or lesions in the oral cavity
• Checking for swelling, tenderness, and abnormalities in the throat, neck, and jaws

If the dentist finds a problem in the exam phase, they will either treat the issue on the spot or schedule a separate dental procedure. They may also order further tests if they need to.

The cleaning phase removes plaque from places that a person may have a hard time reaching with a toothbrush. Cleaning also removes tartar, a problem that many smokers deal with. Dental cleaning is also useful in stain removal and teeth whitening. Here is how the procedure helps with general health:

1. Dental cleaning prevents gum disease and the potential complications that come with it

There is a correlation between gum disease and conditions like cardiovascular disease. The correlation is stronger in patients with a family history of periodontal disease, or heart disease, or both. Such patients should take a proactive approach to their general and systemic health by adopting regular teeth cleaning. Preventing the accumulation of tartar or plaque prevents the type of infection that can find its way to the cardiovascular system.

2. Regular cleaning can moderate the progress of dementia

People in cognitive decline tend to lose the rhythm of their daily routines. Tasks like oral hygiene sometimes become quite the challenge. This means that older people are more likely to develop gum disease without mitigating measures like teeth cleaning.

Gum disease can in turn lead to inflammation, which can cause all sorts of systemic health problems. One of those problems is an acceleration in the progress of dementia. Regular dental cleaning for older patients goes a long way to improve or maintain their general health.

3. Preventing gum disease prevents pregnancy issues

Pregnancy hormones make women more susceptible to gum disease. Left unchecked, gum disease can lead to premature birth or low birth weight. Regular cleaning can prevent both these things from happening.