Professional teeth cleanings are performed during your routine dental exams. These visits offer a chance for your provider to thoroughly check your teeth, gums, and other oral tissues for signs of decay or disease.
The cleaning portion of these visits allows your practitioner to remove all traces of plaque and tartar, giving you a fresh, smooth, and shining smile you’ll feel great about.
While an excellent dental hygiene routine can prevent plaque accumulation and remove bacteria on a daily basis, the team at Whitenhill Dental Corporation has access to advanced cleaning technology that creates results you simply can’t achieve at home.
When plaque builds up on the surface of your teeth, it can harden into a substance called tartar. You can’t remove tartar through regular brushing and flossing.
If tartar is present, your practitioner uses a dental tool called a scaler to scrape it from the surface of your teeth. That process can take longer if there is significant tartar buildup.
Next comes cleaning with a gritty toothpaste and a high-powered electric brush. Your practitioner carefully guides the brush head over all surfaces of your teeth to remove all traces of plaque.
A thorough flossing comes next, which removes any plaque wedged between teeth. You can pick up some great flossing techniques during this portion of the cleaning.
Finally, your teeth are rinsed to remove all of the debris from the cleaning process. You might also receive a fluoride treatment as a final step.
If your provider detects signs of gum disease, you may need a deep cleaning, a process also called scaling and root planing. That treatment removes plaque and tartar located below the gumline.
Gum disease forms pockets in the areas where your gums connect to your teeth. Bacteria can invade these pockets, causing inflammation and decay.
Scaling and root planing involves using dental tools to scrape away plaque and tartar. The surfaces of your tooth roots are then smoothed to help your gum tissue adhere to the teeth and form a tight bond, which helps prevent additional bacterial invasion.
If you’re overdue for a professional teeth cleaning, make today the day you move one step closer to a healthier smile. Call the Whitenhill Dental Corporation team to book a visit, or spend a few moments on the online scheduling page.