What is included in Dental Cleaning?

Importance of Dental Cleaning

Regular dental cleaning is a crucial part of good oral hygiene. Deep dental care not only gives you an attractive smile along with healthy teeth and gums; it can also help to keep the entire body healthy.

At Dental Zone we recommend that patients do a dental visit at least every 6 months are generally sufficient but may be needed more often, depending on the condition of your oral health. Regular dental cleanings and check-ups are preventive measures to stop dental problems before they start.

Dental check-ups will help to:

• Prevent tooth decay and gum diseases.
• Save your money in the long run by avoiding costly dental procedures later.
• Diagnose any problems with your overall health.

A professional dental cleaning will help to:

• Get rid of built-up stains.
• Keep your tooth enamel strong.
• Leaving you with fresh-feeling polished teeth.

Dental Exam and Cleaning: What’s The Difference?

Although most often people combine the two into one appointment, a dental cleaning and a dental exam are two different procedures.

During a teeth cleaning, your dentist scrapes dental plaque and dental calculus from your teeth. In an exam, the dentist will carefully examine your teeth, mouth, and throat to identify any problems, such as cavities, gum disease, loose fillings, and oral cancer. If you are receiving a cleaning and exam within the same appointment, the cleaning usually shall happen first.

Benefits of Dental Exams

During your routine check-up, your dentist will take a closer look to any signs of tooth decay and potential cavities. These problems can infect tooth pulp – the soft tissue present in the center of a tooth – and spread to its root and beyond causing serious issues.

One warning sign of possible tooth decay is an accumulation of dental plaque and dental calculus, which can also cause gum disease.

However, there’s much more in a dental exam than checking for decay and cavities. Dental check-ups can indicate many other issues, including:

• • • Oral cancer. Most cancers of the mouth or throat are originally diagnosed by dentists during routine check-ups. If the disease is detected during the early stages, the survival rate for cancer is good.
    • Gum disease. Deep spaces between your gums and teeth can suggest gum disease (periodontal disease) – a leading cause of tooth loss. According to the Indian Dental Association, 60 percent of the population will get gum disease at some time in their lives. Deep dental cleaning once every three months is advised to maintain periodontal health.
    • Multiple medical conditions. Your dentist will examine whether you have bad breath (halitosis), which can be caused by a variety of reasons, including a yeast infection of the mouth, lung problems, or diabetes.

Benefits of Dental Cleaning

Professional teeth cleaning known as oral prophylaxis by a dentist will eliminate bacteria build-up, plaque, and tartar, which can develop even if you brush and floss regularly.

Dental professionals use special tools to gently get rid of these deposits. If dental plaque hardens over time into a tartar called dental calculus, it can only be removed by a dental professional.

Your oral prophylaxis will also include flossing between your teeth and polishing to eliminate stains and leave your mouth feeling super-fresh.

If you have a build-up of dental plaque beneath the gum line, your dentist can fix the problem with dental scaling – a specialized procedure called dental cleaning that’s regularly used in gum disease cases.

Professional cleanings help to prevent cavities and tooth loss, and gum disease while giving you fresher breath and a sparkling smile.

Studies have proved links between oral health and overall wellbeing, and dental cleanings can help to lessen the risk of health ailments including cancer, lung infections, heart disease, and stroke, as well as diabetes.

If your dental health is crucial to you and you like to keep your smile shining, you probably already understand the importance of regular dental visits for cleaning the teeth. But, if you’ve never had a dental cleaning or if you’re confused whether dental cleanings are necessary or not, consider the following benefits of getting your teeth cleaned twice each year at Dental Zone:

• • 1. Cavity Prevention

Nobody likes cavities, being one of the most obvious reasons why people visit the dentist regularly for check-ups and cleanings. It’s a better cost-effective way to get a cleaning than to fill a cavity or get a root canal. And teeth cleanings are a much more pleasant experience compared to having dental caries filled.

• • 2. Tooth Loss Prevention

Gum disease is a serious concern. It starts with plaque building up on your teeth. As gum disease gradually progresses, the plaque moves down into the tooth where it destroys supporting bone tissues in the jaw. With this, the teeth become loose from the gums pocket and begin to fall out. Oral prophylaxis along with deep dental cleaning is effective to save a patient’s teeth due to gum disease.

• • 3. Keep Your Breath Fresh

Dental cleaning helps control the bacteria in the mouth that cause bad breath. Although brushing and flossing the teeth regularly can help keep the breath fresh, a professional dental cleaning every 6 months is also needed for maintaining an odor-free oral environment.

• • 4. Brighten Your Smile

Who wouldn’t be happy about saving money on dental costs, but regardless of the financial benefits, patients who get regular dental cleanings have whiter, brighter teeth with fewer stains and far less plaque and tartar.

• • 5. Boost Your General Health

The health of your teeth and gums can have a great impact on general health. The roots of your teeth are located near your sinus and brain cavities. As a result, an infection in a tooth can lead to serious health consequences. Whereas, regular dental check-ups and cleanings can boost your overall health and help you avoid some serious health issues later in the long run.

What Happens During Dental Cleaning Visits?

Generally, a dental cleaning visit comprises of two parts: the check-up or oral examination and the cleaning or oral prophylaxis. During the exam, the dentist checks your teeth for cavities. In some cases, x-rays might be done to find hidden cavities situated between the teeth. The dentist will also look carefully for issues like gum disease or plaque and tartar on the teeth.

The Examination

During a dental cleaning or oral prophylaxis, there are several important things besides cavities that the dentist looks for. Dental Plaque and tartar, gum disease, and cancer indicators are all important aspects of the teeth cleaning appointment.

Dental Plaque and Dental Calculus

Plaque on the teeth is a clear, sticky layer of bacteria. If this layer isn’t removed it can harden and become tartar. Brushing and flossing are ineffective for removing the tartar. Only a dentist can remove tartar by dental scaling from the teeth and once this substance builds up on the teeth, the patient becomes exposed to various oral diseases.

Gum Disease

At Dental Zone, we always check our patients for gum disease because healthy gums lead strong foundation for healthy teeth. To check gum health, a special tool is used while performing deep dental cleaning that measures how deep space is between your gums and teeth. People with Healthy gums have shallower spaces, whereas, for people with gum disease, space becomes deeper. Identifying gum disease earlier can make a huge difference in preventing the development of more serious dental issues.

Diseases of the Tongue, Throat, and Neck

A careful examination of the tongue, throat, face, neck, and head is another important part of a dental cleaning visit. This part of the examination looks for any redness, swelling, inflammation, or tissue changes for cancer indicators. At Dental Zone, we make this part of the visit a priority because identifying diseased tissue at an early stage can make a life or death difference for our patients.

The Dental Cleaning

Brushing and flossing might help you clean the plaque from your teeth, but you can’t completely get rid of tartar at home. So, during a routine dental cleaning or oral prophylaxis, the dental professional will remove the tartar and plaque with special tools. This is called “dental scaling”. Dental Scaling removes plaque and tartar.

After the tartar and plaque have been removed, the dentist may polish the teeth using a gritty paste and a polishing tool that helps remove any surface stains on your teeth and make your smile sparkle. The final step is flossing. To ensure the areas between your teeth are clean your dentist will use floss.

What You Should Do Between Each Dental Visit?

Ensure proper oral hygiene of teeth and gums between regular dental visits. Plaque is always forming on your teeth, but you can control it by regular brushing and flossing.

Here is some good routine of oral healthcare at home:

• 1. Brush your teeth with fluoride toothpaste twice a day.
  2. Floss daily.
  3. Make Use of mouthwash to help control plaque bacteria and achieve fresh breath.
  4. Maintain a healthy balanced diet and limit snacks.
  5. Avoid smoking and drinking.
  6. Continue getting regular dental exams and cleanings.