What Happens If You Skip Your Dental Cleaning? 

It's that time of the year again! You get a call from the team at Khanani Family Dental to remind you that it's time to schedule your next dental cleaning. Your days are already packed and with everything that's happening at work and home, you may feel very tempted to skip this one. 

But should you? 

Here's why you shouldn't skip your next dental cleaning and what happens if you do. 

Why It's a Bad Idea to Skip a Dental Cleaning 

Daily brushing is highly important for good oral health, but it's not enough. There are lots of places in your mouth that a regular toothbrush can't reach. Overtime, those areas become a breeding ground for bacteria and plaque will start to build up. This plaque will eventually harden and turn into tartar, a calcified deposit that only a dentist can remove. 

If you skip your dental cleaning, all the plaque and tartar will remain in place. And, although they aren't bothering you now (you're probably not even noticing anything unusual at the moment,) the damage has already begun. 

What Happens If You Don't Get a Dental Cleaning for a Year 

It's easier to skip another dental cleaning once you've already done it once. With plaque and tartar building up for so long, gingivitis will begin to form. Minor cavities that would have required only a fluoride treatment, now need a filling. 

The problem is that these conditions are still asymptomatic. You may experience just a bit of sensitivity to cold and hot foods and a bit of bleeding when brushing, but nothing too concerning. So you may think that your oral health is in good condition and feel tempted to skip your next appointment too. 

What Happens If You Skip Dental Cleanings for Two Years 

By now, any small cavity has probably reached the pulp and is causing regular pain. A filling is not enough to treat it anymore and you will need a more invasive treatment like a root canal. 

Your gingivitis progressed to periodontal disease, a condition that can't be reversed. You can probably notice gum retraction and deep gum pockets. 

What Happens If You Skip Dental Cleanings for Five Years 

At this point, periodontal disease combined with severe tooth decay most likely jeopardized your oral health. Your dentist may be able to save some teeth, but they may need to extract others. That means that you will now have to invest in restorative treatments like implants, dentures, or bridges. A simple, routine dental cleaning could have prevented all this pain, stress, and costs. 

Schedule Your Dental Cleaning Now

It may not seem like a big deal to skip dental cleaning, but you can see how easily things can go south when it comes to our oral health. 

Don't wait a minute longer and get in touch with Dr. Salman Khanani. 

Contact us online or call our office at (508) 829-4575 to book your next dental cleaning appointment.