Recently over the holidays, I was determined to take that leap of faith and walk on over to the dentist to do my annual scaling! ( I secretly have a phobia of the dentist!) When my turn was up to get my teeth “refreshed”, you can’t imagine the number of times I secretly prayed to God to let me out of this misery. As I walked in, this lady dentist welcomed me with a warm smile and I thought to myself “hey, everything will be fine, I’m just overthinking” until she looked at my teeth. She examined everything and before she started scaling, she told me “alright, so this is going to hurt a little”. GOD WHYYYY??!
In the end, after enduring the pain in my heart and soul (drama much, but not that painful actually, just certain parts), the dentist said I had healthy teeth, just I need to be more hardworking in brushing my teeth the right way. Phewww, the feeling of relief I felt.
However, I realised scaling your teeth should be one of your highest importance for a good personal hygiene. I feel so much more confident when I smile at people and you can feel the same way too!
What is Scaling?
Dental scaling is routinely performed to help patients with gum disease and excessive plaque buildup. The process of scaling and root planning the teeth is often referred to as a deep cleaning.
Everyone in some form or another has to experience plaque and bacteria buildup in the teeth. The saliva, bacteria, and proteins in your mouth form a thin layer that covers your teeth at almost all times. When you eat, tiny particles, acids, and sugars from the food stick to this film, creating a buildup on the teeth known as plaque. The bacteria that live in this plaque can cause gum disease and tooth decay. Brushing, flossing and regular dental cleanings will help maintain a healthier teeth. So, this begs the question, why must we go for scaling?
1.Eliminates bad breath
Who loves to talk to people with bad breath? Of course, the first subtle thing you’ll do is offer that person gum or just run away altogether. Whether you are plagued by chronic bad breath (referred to as halitosis) or the occasional bout of malodor, scaling can help resolve the problem. People always think bad breath comes from the food you consume but this is not always the case. Tartar buildup is the main culprit here, so to avoid this from going bad to worse, removing the chunks from your gum and teeth is important. Do remember to brush your tongue as the hair of the tongue can harvest more bacteria which can lead to bad breath.
2. Good for the heart
They say wine and dark chocolate is good for the heart but few studies have shown that healthy teeth are a directly linked to a healthy heart. There have been countless studies performed on the correlation between a person’s oral and overall health. Gingivitis and gum disease have a direct effect on your cardiovascular well-being. According to the Associate Professor Michael Skilton, a cardiovascular health expert at the University of Sydney said: “people who have gum disease are at about twice the risk of developing heart disease than people who don’t have gum disease.” Who knew oral hygiene has something to with your heart’s health?
Tips to maintain healthy teeth
- Brush your teeth after every meal
- Cleaning between the teeth with ‘interdental’ brushes or floss at least once a day
- Regular dental check-ups
- Avoid sugary foods
- Brush your teeth at least twice a day. (More will be better)
With that, start taking good care of your teeth and smile away! 😀