[Posted on March 29th, 2013]Those who don't practice good dental habits or any type of dental hygiene are risking the health of their mouth, gums and teeth and making it susceptible to years of severe damage. The longer someone goes without taking proper care of their teeth, the easier it is for problems like infections, cavities and weakened enamel to accumulate and become more difficult to repair. Fortunately, a dentist in College Station can repair years of poor dental hygiene and help them back to a healthy, restored smile.Plaque and TartarOne of the biggest problems associated with poor dental hygiene is the buildup of plaque and tartar on your teeth. As plaque and tartar build up as deposits on the teeth near the gumline, the teeth can begin to separate from the lining of the gum, causing them to loosen. This is sometimes referred to as periodontal disease. It's important to visit a dentist at least twice a year to have this plaque and tartar professionally removed in a teeth cleaning. Deep cleaning by a dentist in College Station can help remove damaged done through years of poor hygiene.CavitiesCavities can also accumulate with poor dental hygiene. Cavities are small holes in the teeth. These small tooth holes may be caused as plaque turns into tartar, or can also be caused as acid erodes at the teeth and causes it to decay. Plaque begins to form 20 minutes after eating, and the less the teeth are taken care of, the more at-risk the teeth are for decay. A dentist in College Station can fill cavities to restore the tooth's function or get rid of pain or discomfort associated with the decay, but it's important that the patient begins to correctly brush their teeth on a regular basis to be more proactive about these cavities.Cavities and other untreated tooth issues can cause infections in the pulp of the teeth to occur, which can cause pus to build up in the gums, swelling in the cheeks, pain deep in the jawline and teeth to decay so much that they begin to break and chip apart. Conditions like these can be treated through restorative dentistry, which involves procedures like root canal therapy. A general dentist in College Station can perform all sorts of restorative dentistry procedures to treat the problem before it gets worse or help the tooth get its normal function back.Broken TeethIf a tooth condition becomes so badly inflamed or infected that a tooth begins to break apart, the tooth can be properly removed or crowned with a durable porcelain crown. However, in some cases, the tooth must be removed completely. If this is the case, your College Station dentist can use a bridge to put a fake tooth in its place and secure it using the surrounding teeth. This helps keep the rest of the teeth from shifting with all of the new space and restores the old tooth's function as well as the smile.Dentists are prepared to handle anything and are aware of the consequences associate with poor dental habits or hygiene. The majority of tooth and gum problems can be attributed to the upkeep of our teeth and which dental hygiene habits are practiced on a regular basis. If you want to keep your teeth and gums healthy and strong, brush your teeth at least twice a day and floss once a day to get rid of plaque, tartar and bacteria build-up. If you think you need to have some problems treated, visit your general dentist today for a consultation.
