Prevent gum disease and decay with a teeth-cleaning procedure

Everyone knows the dentist can protect your oral health, but an issue with your teeth can impact your whole body. Minor problems like difficulty chewing can cause indigestion, while major problems like periodontal disease can cause infections that spread through other parts of your body. If you’re searching for “teeth cleaning services near me,” Drs. Mike and Marisa Milligan can help. Eastland Dental Center offers patients in Bloomington, Illinois, a routine teeth cleaning procedure, as well as thorough exams to detect problems with their oral health.

Bacteria and your oral health

Your mouth is the perfect place for bacteria to find a steady supply of food. The more sugary foods and drinks you eat, the more bacteria will love your mouth. These bacteria can cause serious damage to your mouth. As they feed, they create acid that can attack your tooth enamel and cause cavities. They also form plaque, a sticky biofilm that protects them from your saliva. Over time, plaque hardens into tartar and protects bacteria from your toothbrush and floss.

Additionally, the toxins they produce cause inflammation in your gums, causing them to pull away from your teeth. This allows them to penetrate deeper into your gum tissue, causing infections that destroy your gums and expose your tooth root. While gum disease is the leading cause of tooth loss in adults, it’s also associated with other health issues. The infection can spread to the bone and your bloodstream, and researchers have found it in patients that suffer from heart disease, as well as in the brains of patients with Alzheimer’s.

Restore your oral health with routine cleanings

While at-home hygiene can help keep these bacteria at bay, it takes training and special tools to remove tartar safely from your teeth. A dental hygienist can clean hard-to-reach crevices in your mouth, remove plaque and tartar below the gum line, and restore the shine to your teeth. Dental sealants and fluoride treatments can strengthen your teeth and prevent decay in harder-to-clean areas to keep your mouth clean and healthy longer.

During hygiene visits, we utilize top-of-the-line technology to help us find problems in your teeth, gums, and bones. Digital X-rays give us a crystal-clear picture of your mouth in seconds and Drs. Mike and Marisa Milligan can use them to spot tiny dental caries and provide conservative care. They will also use a VELscope to spot signs of oral cancer in the earliest stages for the best prognosis. Additionally, salivary diagnosis can detect gingivitis in the earliest stages and identify the exact bacteria causing the infection so we can use a targeted approach to destroy them.

Advanced care

Drs. Mike and Marisa Milligan have over 40 years of experience treating dental issues of all sizes. If they detect issues in your mouth, they can educate you on your options and form a treatment plan to restore your oral health. The Eastland Dental Center team is equipped to treat gum disease, perform extractions and dental implants, and provide root canal therapy without referring you to an outside specialist.

Neglecting your teeth can have an impact on your whole body. Don’t hesitate to reach out for help. Contact our office in Bloomington, Illinois, today at (309) 663-4711 to schedule an appointment.