What is proper dental hygiene?
Proper dental hygiene starts with good routine at-home care, such as brushing your teeth twice a day for two minutes at a time, and flossing at nighttime before you brush your teeth. A key component of maintaining good oral hygiene is regular visits to the dentist, ideally every six months, to keep your teeth clean.
What can happen if I am not practicing good dental hygiene?
Poor dental hygiene can lead to gum disease, which is when you start to lose bone around your teeth. This bone is the foundation for your teeth, and without good support, you can end up losing them over time. Another issue is the buildup of bacteria on your teeth, which if not regularly removed, can cause cavities, leading to tooth rot. This can escalate to serious problems such as infections, and potential loss of teeth.
What is involved in a dental cleaning?
A dental cleaning consists of three main parts: scaling - removing the bacteria that's built up on your teeth, polishing - removing the surface stains on your teeth to keep them white, and applying fluoride to strengthen your enamel and make it less susceptible to cavities. Dental hygienists use tools like a Cavitron or an ultrasonic cleaner to break up deposits on the surface, and traditional hand scaling instruments to further clean your teeth.
Do you offer anything to make the cleaning process less painful?
We aim to make dental cleanings as painless as possible. We offer local or topical anesthetic to numb your gums during cleaning. Discomfort during cleaning usually arises if there's a lot of buildup underneath the gums due to lack of regular cleanings, causing inflammation and pain. But we can take steps to make it comfortable for you if you let us know about your discomfort.
How long does a typical dental cleaning take?
A typical dental cleaning varies depending on your oral health condition. For regular patients who visit every six months and maintain good oral hygiene at home, a typical cleaning will last about 45 minutes to an hour. If you haven't been in for several years and there's a lot of buildup on your teeth, the cleaning will take longer and sometimes it may require a few appointments.
Why might a deep cleaning be necessary?
Deep cleaning becomes necessary when there's a lot of buildup underneath the gums that needs to be removed. This reduces the risk of gum disease, which is the process of losing bone around the teeth. This typically becomes necessary if you haven't visited the dentist for a while and haven't had a professional cleaning underneath your gums.
What should I do after a dental cleaning?
After a dental cleaning, it's best to avoid drinking or eating anything hot or acidic for four to six hours so that the fluoride varnish can effectively strengthen your enamel. If your gums are tender after the cleaning, you could use a salt water rinse for a couple of days or take some Advil or Tylenol until the inflammation subsides.
How can I schedule a dental hygiene appointment?
You can schedule a dental hygiene appointment by calling our office and our receptionists can help you with scheduling. Alternatively, you can email us at [email protected]. If you have any further questions or are ready to schedule your dental cleaning, please call us at (204) 817-6768.
Unleash the Brilliance of Your Smile!
Dental cleanings are an important aspect of maintaining your oral health. They are performed by dental hygienists, and help to remove stain and tartar buildup from your teeth. Dental cleanings should be performed every six months, or in some cases more frequently depending on an individuals oral health needs.
Maintaining regular and proper brushing at home is essential, but sometimes plaque buildup can persist, leading to tartar formation and inflamed gums. Neglecting this can result in gum disease, periodontal disease, and even tooth loss if left untreated. Surprisingly, tartar buildup is also a significant contributor to bad breath. Fear not, though! Professional teeth cleaning will remove this debris and leave you with fresh breath that lasts all day long.