Protect Your Smile with Proper Dental Hygiene Getting a dental checkup and cleaning at least once a year isn’t just some boring advice that you can feel free to ignore. Regular dental checkups serve a very important purpose in maintaining the health of your mouth. In addition to keeping your smile looking bright and beautiful, proper dental hygiene prevents some serious diseases that could destroy your teeth.
Gingivitis Gingivitis is the first warning sign that you haven’t been taking good enough care of your teeth. Plaque is the colourless buildup of film on your teeth. Regular brushing removes most of the bacteria that leads to plaque and a professional dental cleaning once or twice a year removes the rest. If not removed, plaque leads to redness and pain in your gums, which is the beginning stage of further gum disease.
Periodontal Disease Gum disease, also known as periodontal disease, is slow to progress and is almost totally preventable with good dental hygiene. Gum disease develops slowly over time but eventually erodes the gum tissue and leads to bone loss. Eventually it can even lead to losing your teeth. Certain factors make it more likely that you’ll develop gum disease. If you smoke or chew smokeless tobacco, it significantly increases your risk of developing periodontal disease.Poor diets, particularly those high in starch and sugar, also weaken your gum tissue. Certain medications, such as particular contraceptives, heart medicine and antidepressants, also make gum disease more likely. Minimise your risk of developing periodontal disease by brushing your teeth at least twice a day for two minutes with an Australian Dental Association-approved fluoridated