If you have the propensity to let your dental checkups slide back a few months or even to skip them altogether, you could be putting your oral health at unnecessary risk. Attending dental checkups allows your Livonia dentist, Dr. James Stewart, to examine your teeth on a regular basis. These frequent examinations enable Dr. Stewart to monitor your teeth for any troubling symptoms that could develop into significant oral health problems and intercede if necessary. For example, if Dr. Stewart were to notice signs of wear on your teeth from bruxism (teeth grinding), he could provide you with a dental night guard to wear when you sleep. The night guard would prevent your teeth from rubbing against one another, protecting them from enamel loss and structural damage. It would also reduce the bite force generated by bruxism, thus lowering the stress experienced by the temporomandibular joints (jaw joints), which may develop a disorder as a result of continual strain.
Dental checkups also allow a hygienist to clean your teeth. These cleanings are more thorough than brushing and flossing, owing to the dental instruments that hygienists use. These tools can scrape tartar (hardened plaque) from teeth, a feat at which toothbrushes and dental floss fail. Therefore, in order to prevent damaging oral bacteria from lingering on your teeth, you should attend dental cleanings regularly.
Tartar Formation
Tartar builds when plaque is allowed to remain on teeth for 48 hours. Oral bacteria constantly assault teeth by forming plaque, a clear, sticky film, so that they can attach themselves to teeth. The goal of homecare is to remove plaque so that these bacteria cannot remain on teeth to attack them. However, plaque may linger, resulting in tartar, despite people’s best efforts. If tartar does form on teeth, it can consume lingering sugar in the mouth, giving off an acid by product as a result. The acid can damage enamel, and eventually, a cavity may develop.
General Dentistry in Livonia
Your Livonia dentist makes developing relationships with his patients a priority. He wants every patient to feel comfortable during every visit and encourages dialogue and questions. In addition to his welcoming chairside manner, Dr. Stewart has years of experience working with patients, giving him an extensive knowledge of dentistry in which you can place your trust.
About James Stewart, DDS: James Stewart, DDS is an experienced and respected dentist serving patients from Livonia, Farmington Hills, Plymouth, Northville, Dearborn Heights, and Garden City. Patients can contact Dr. Stewart by calling (734) 425-4400 to schedule an appointment or a consultation.