Dental Cleaning Randolph MA
One of the main goals of dentistry is to protect your teeth and smile from tooth decay and gum disease. Other than practicing good oral hygiene at home, the best way to accomplish this is to visit your dentist periodically for a professional dental cleaning.
What is a dental cleaning?
Dental cleaning is a professional service that removes plaque and tartar from the surfaces of your teeth to help prevent periodontal disease, or gum disease.
Most dentists recommend that their patients come in twice annually for a routine dental cleaning appointment. If you have ongoing dental problems, such as gingivitis or periodontitis, you may be advised to undergo more frequent dental cleaning appointments to halt the progression of gum disease.
Dangers of Plaque
Patients who undergo regular dental cleanings have a much lower incidence of gum disease because any plaque and tartar is being removed on a regular basis before it has a chance to damage the gums.
Plaque is a film that sticks to the teeth, secreting acids that eat away at tooth enamel and inflame and infect the gums that surround and support your teeth. Eventually, this leads to a mild form of gum disease called gingivitis.
If you resume your proper oral hygiene habits at home, and keep up with your dental cleaning appointments, gingivitis can be reversed. Left untreated, gingivitis progresses into an irreversible form of gum disease called periodontitis that can threaten the loss of your teeth.
Who benefits from a dental cleaning?
Almost anyone can benefit from a dental cleaning. Even if you think that you are being meticulous in your cleaning efforts at home, it is still possible to miss a spot or two, particularly when trying to brush hard-to-reach areas like the back molars.
Dental Cleaning Benefits:
- Removes plaque and tartar
- Prevents gum disease
- Prevents costly dental work
What To Expect
Your individual dental cleaning appointment may proceed somewhat differently, but here is generally what you can expect at a typical dental cleaning visit:
Dental Exam
Most routine dental cleaning appointments are preceded by a dental exam. Your dental hygienist will inspect your teeth, mouth, and gums for any signs of trouble. If any areas of concern are detected, your dentist may be brought in for a closer inspection.
Plaque and Tartar Removal
Your dental hygienist will be removing any plaque and tartar found on your teeth with the use of a scaler device. Although you can brush and floss to remove plaque, it eventually hardens into a form called tartar that can only be removed with a professional dental cleaning.
Professional Flossing
Just like you are presumably doing at home, your dental hygienist will floss in between your teeth to remove food debris and plaque.
Fluoride Treatment
Fluoride treatments are an optional step that may be performed if there are concerns about the strength of your tooth enamel. This treatment will help to protect your teeth against tooth decay until your next dental cleaning appointment.
Schedule Your Appointment
Have you been putting off your routine dental cleaning appointments? If so, we hope by now that you understand how vitally important these routine appointments are. We encourage you to contact our office at your earliest convenience to schedule your next dental cleaning appointment.