What Happens If You Skip Your Dental Hygiene Appointment?
What Does a Dental Hygiene Appointment Involve?
During your regular dental hygiene appointments, your teeth will be thoroughly cleaned. Your teeth, gums and overall oral health will be assessed using various inspections and exams. Your cheeks, lips, tongue, throat and neck will be assessed, as well as your soft and hard tissues such as your gums and teeth. Oral hygiene instruction will be reviewed and demonstrated for home care.
How Frequent Are Dental Hygiene Appointments?
It is recommended, for everybody, to have professional dental cleanings completed every 3-9 months. The frequency is a recommendation that will be a discussion with your dental hygienist and can change over time if the health of your teeth and gums declines or improves. More frequent cleanings are recommended for patients who have more risk of cavities and gum disease, and fewer routine cleanings are recommended for patients with healthy mouths and no past issues. The frequency is recommended based on a multitude of factors such as:
- Past or current gum disease
- Susceptibility to cavities
- Genetic predisposition
- Gum recession
- Tooth loss/tooth mobility
- Current oral hygiene regimen
Skipping Your Dental Hygiene Appointments?
During your dental hygiene appointments, accessible and inaccessible areas of your teeth are cleaned that you can’t access with home care. In addition, once plaque in your mouth (soft deposit) turns into tartar (hard deposit), it can no longer be removed with a toothbrush and floss and must be removed professionally. Therefore, if you skip your dental hygiene appointments, bacteria will build up on your teeth in the form of plaque and tartar and cause issues with your gums and teeth. Common conditions that arise from skipping dental hygiene appointments are:
- Cavities
- Gum recession
- Heavy tartar build-up
- Bad breath
- Teeth staining
- Gingivitis (which is an inflammation of the gums)
- Periodontitis (which is a progression of gingivitis causing an infection with the supporting structures of the teeth like the ligament and bone)
- Mobile teeth
- Tooth loss
If you have missed a few dental hygiene appointments, don’t fret. Just get back on schedule and see your dentist and dental hygienist for a check-up and cleaning. If you have any questions about dental hygiene appointments, we encourage you to contact us today to schedule an appointment.