Most people think that simply brushing and flossing their teeth regularly is enough to prevent gum disease from occurring. But that’s not completely true. Sure, it’s important to brush and floss your teeth regularly, but that’s not enough to get rid of all the food particles stuck between your teeth — especially those in the deeper recesses of your mouth and if you have misaligned teeth. Over time, these food traces attract bacteria and turn into plaque and tartar, which can lead to gum disease. The only way to make sure that you don’t get gum disease is to go for regular professional teeth cleaning sessions at a reliable dental clinic. Contact us to schedule an appointment today.
What is Professional Teeth Cleaning?
Professional teeth cleaning is a procedure in which you go to a dentist regularly so they can thoroughly clean your teeth to achieve the following goals:
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Remove all traces of food particles left between your teeth and gums.
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Scrape off all traces of plaque, which is the sticky white film over your teeth.
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Remove all of the hardened tartar deposits.
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Examine your teeth and mouth for signs of gum disease.
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If there’s any sign of gum disease, then treat it immediately with a fluoride solution and root planing procedure.
Why is Dental Deep Cleaning of Teeth Necessary?
As mentioned previously, food particles in your mouth attract bacteria, which can lead to the formation of plaque and tartar, which attracts even more bacteria. This is a vicious cycle that leads to severe bacterial infection in your teeth and gums, which, in turn, leads to gum disease. As bacteria continue spreading, they can also get under the gums and create pockets of space between your gums and teeth.
According to the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, a healthy set of gums should have a maximum of 3-millimeter pockets between the teeth. However, when you suffer from gum disease, these pockets can grow beyond 5 millimeters. In this case, dental deep cleaning of teeth becomes necessary to prevent gum disease from spreading further.
Everyone needs regular professional teeth cleaning, no matter how strong your oral hygiene habits are. It’s impossible to remove every last trace of food particles and they inevitably lead to gingivitis and periodontitis. These diseases can be extremely dangerous, and they can lead to persistent bad breath, discoloration of the teeth, red gums, inflamed gums, bone loss, and even loss of teeth. As such, if you want to avoid these serious consequences, then you need to visit your dentist regularly for professional teeth cleaning.
Professional Teeth Cleaning Procedure
A professional teeth cleaning procedure is extremely non-invasive and simple. In fact, it’s so simple that it’s usually conducted by the dental hygienist. The following are the primary steps involved in the professional teeth cleaning procedure.
Rinsing and Fluoride Treatment
Once all of the plaque and tartar have been removed and your gums have been reattached to your teeth, the dental hygienist will put the finishing touches on the treatment. First, the dental hygienist will help brush your teeth with an electric toothbrush and an abrasive toothpaste that will scrub the surface of your teeth perfectly. Next, the dental hygienist will floss your teeth and show you how to do it yourself as well. Next, you’ll have to rinse your mouth with a fluoride antibacterial mouthwash to get rid of all the bacteria in your mouth. And finally, the dental hygienist will apply a fluoride gel on your teeth and make you wear a mouthpiece so that the gel thoroughly settles into your teeth. This will ensure that your teeth remain bacteria-free for several months until your next appointment.
Scaling
This is the first step of the teeth cleaning procedure. The dental hygienist will inspect your mouth and then remove all the plaque and tartar stuck between your teeth and gums using a scalar tool. The dental hygienist will also check the areas around the gums to remove plaque from all the extremities.
Root Cleaning
If you haven’t gone for teeth cleaning for a while, it may also be possible that you may be suffering from initial signs of gum disease. In that case, pockets may have formed between your gums and teeth. If that’s true, the dental hygienist will smoothen out the root surface of your tooth so they can reattach it to your gums. This procedure is known as root planing.
General Cleaning - Deep Cleaning FAQs
What can I expect from deep cleaning?
How often should I go for general cleaning appointments?
Do I still need general cleaning at a dentist’s office if I maintain optimal oral care?
Are teeth general cleaning and deep cleaning the same?
How should I prepare for my deep cleaning appointment?
After the deep cleaning session, you’ll have a set of clean teeth, fresh breath, and a beautiful smile. General cleaning and deep cleaning sessions are painless and generally conclude within 45 minutes. During the deep cleaning session, our dentist or dental hygienist will remove plaque from your teeth. We will also polish and floss your teeth to remove all bacteria biofilm. Finally, we’ll use fluoride treatment to further minimize your risk of bacterial decay in the future.
According to the American Dental Association, children and adults should go for general cleaning appointments at least once every six months. If you’ve had periodontal disease in the past, you may also need to go once every three months. Please defer to the dentist’s opinion on the matter.
Optimal oral care at home isn’t a substitute for general cleaning sessions; the two complement each other. You must maintain optimal oral health to minimize the risk of bacterial decay and cavities. If you don’t maintain oral health at home, you’ll suffer from accelerated bacterial decay, which may lead to gum disease. Meanwhile, no matter how well you brush and floss your teeth, you will still need regular dentist appointments to remove the accumulated plaque.
General, professional teeth cleaning and deep cleaning are slightly different from each other. General cleaning is a simple tooth cleaning procedure that removes all of the accumulated plaque from your teeth. A deep cleaning may be necessary if you have significant tartar on your teeth, and it may also entail root planing.
Before the deep cleaning appointment, we only ask that you practice optimal oral hygiene. We’ll handle the rest!
