Teeth Cleaning
When it comes to the health of your teeth and gums, the buildup of plaque and tartar is the number one cause of tooth loss, gum disease, and tooth decay. Unfortunately, even with regular brushing, flossing, and mouthwash use, tartar and plaque can still build-up both on your teeth and under the gum lines. This is why you hear your dentist constantly talking about preventative care, as eating a healthy diet, getting fluoride treatment, and having regular dental cleanings done will all stop problems before they even start. Preventative dentistry is the first line of defense against gum disease, tooth decay, and your overall health and wellbeing.
The Importance of Dental Cleaning and What to Expect
When a dental hygienist cleans your teeth, whether it be through a regular cleaning or a deep cleaning, they will remove the thin layer of bacteria that sits over the top of your teeth called plaque. This plaque leads to tooth decay and gum disease. They will also remove tartar, which are calcified deposits that form on top of your teeth. These deposits contribute to tooth decay when they are left to accumulate over a long period of time. Here is what to expect when you come into our dental office for a cleaning.
- You will be greeted by one of our staff members who will take you to one of our exam rooms.
- One of our hygienists will use an ultrasonic instrument to loosen up any tartar deposits that have accumulated on your teeth.
- We will then use small scalers to remove any buildup from plaque and tartar that our ultrasonic instruments were unable to get.
- We will then polish your teeth up and apply a fluoride treatment to help strengthen your teeth.
We highly recommend that you have a dental cleaning every six months to remove the microscopic plaque and tartar that persistently gets missed by regular flossing and brushing.
What Is Deep Dental Cleaning and Oral Screening?
Although regular dental cleaning is great for removing plaque on the upper portions of your teeth, it doesn’t do anything to remove the plaque buildup that you get underneath your gum line. With deep dental cleaning, not only will the dentist shave away the plaque buildup, but it will get rid of the bacteria that also likes to sit below the gum line. This type of cleaning may be referred to as periodontal cleaning as it helps combat gum disease by using scaling and root planning techniques.
Scaling occurs when the dentist uses a specialized instrument that scrapes away the bacteria and plaque, while root planning is when the dentist shapes the root of each tooth to eliminate areas where tartar and plaque like to buildup. If you are in for deep dental cleaning, you will get anesthetic and possibly an antibiotic as this helps with healing and recovery. This type of cleaning is important for correcting the damage that is caused by bacteria and gum disease.
An oral screening takes only a few minutes for your dentist to complete, is pain-free, and is an excellent tool for early detection and treatment. This type of screening is critical for males as it occurs twice as often in men than it does in women, especially in men who are heavy drinkers, smokers, or over the age of sixty. Please ask us if you would like this screening done as it is not part of the regular cleaning procedure.
What Makes Our Dental Office Different – Our Concierge Approach
At Tampa Palms Dentistry, we put our patient’s needs first and foremost. All of our services, treatments, and recommendations are personalized to your oral health. This means that we will never recommend a service to you that you do not require. We want you to have a healthy mouth that is free of gum disease, tooth decay, and plaque buildup because we want your overall health and wellbeing to be optimal. We choose to take on the patient-centric approach as we truly believe that your experience with us should go above and beyond the care of your gums and teeth.
If you have any questions about our teeth cleanings or think you may need a teeth cleaning, call us today at (813) 333-1922 to schedule an appointment. We are here to give you a healthy, beautiful smile.