Teeth cleaning is a vital component of good oral health. It helps reduce harmful bacteria that can cause tooth decay and gum disease.
A dental hygienist usually performs teeth cleaning. It’s often recommended that you visit twice a year to supplement your daily brushing and flossing routine. Click https://bocadentallasvegas.com/ to learn more.
During routine cleanings, dental hygienists remove plaque and tartar, which can lead to tooth decay and gum disease. Bacteria in dental plaque uses sugar from food to produce acids that erode and weaken teeth, increasing your risk for cavities and gingivitis – the first stage of gum disease. Regular brushing and flossing, along with a balanced diet, help to prevent plaque buildup and halt the progression of gum disease.
A clear, sticky biofilm called plaque constantly builds up on teeth throughout the day. This bacterium clings to teeth and irritates the gums, causing gum disease, bad breath, and other problems. If left untreated, plaque hardens into a substance known as tartar, or calculus. Tartar cannot be removed by regular brushing and requires a visit to the dentist or dental hygienist to be removed with special dental tools.
Regular brushing and flossing are the best way to keep plaque from building up on teeth. Use a soft-bristled toothbrush with fluoride toothpaste to brush at least twice per day, preferably after every meal. Be sure to brush the front and back sides of each tooth, using 2 different strokes, and don’t forget to floss daily. Flossing is particularly important to remove food particles and bacteria from between your teeth, where brushes can’t reach. Using a flossing tool like a dental flosser or a water flosser can make it easier to get in between and behind your teeth.
If you have problems with plaque, consider switching to a tartar removal toothpaste. These products have chemicals inside them that bind to tartar and plaque, making it easier for your brush to remove them. However, there is no scientific evidence that using these products helps to reduce tartar or plaque buildup.
A standard cleaning includes scaling and root planing, which involves the hygienist scraping the surface of a tooth and below the gum line. Using a manual instrument or an ultrasonic device, the hygienist will loosen and remove these deposits to help prevent future gum disease, cavities, and other problems. The hygienist will also polish your teeth, which removes minor staining and leaves your teeth feeling smooth and clean.
Flossing
Flossing cleans areas of the teeth that toothbrushes cannot reach. It disrupts the development of dental plaque (a sticky biofilm composed of bacteria and food particles) before it calcifies into calculus. It also removes debris that could irritate or injure gum tissue. Flossing may reduce the risk of gingivitis, an inflammation that can lead to tooth and bone loss, but only if it is done regularly and correctly.
During flossing, one should exercise a degree of delicacy and persistence in removing plaque from the teeth. The use of a new segment of floss for each contact area avoids cross-contamination and facilitates thorough plaque eradication. Similarly, the floss should be maneuvered between each pair of teeth in a curved fashion so as not to scrape or irritate the gums. In addition, it is important to floss regularly, preferably once per day.
It is also a good idea to change the type of floss used on a regular basis to ensure that it remains effective. While nylon dental floss is the most common and affordable, other types of dental floss are available including flavored, waxed, and even wider floss for cleaning around restorations like bridgework. It is important to find a type of floss that works for you, and that you can handle comfortably.
If you are not comfortable with flossing, or if you are not doing it properly, it is important to ask for help from your dentist or hygienist. Flossing improperly can cause gum injury and result in bleeding, abrasions, and other serious oral health issues.
Having a solid dental hygiene regimen that includes daily brushing and flossing and regular checkups is the best way to maintain healthy teeth and gums. It will also prevent recurring problems such as cavities and gum disease which require expensive dental procedures. To learn more about dental hygiene, listen to the Health Essentials Podcast episode “Keeping Your Mouth Healthy”. New episodes are released every Wednesday!
Fluoride Treatment
Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral that helps prevent tooth decay. It works by strengthening teeth and making them more resistant to bacteria and acid that cause cavities. It also helps remineralize weakened or damaged enamel to help reduce tooth sensitivity and reverse the early stages of tooth decay. Regular professional fluoride treatments can significantly reduce the amount of dental work needed in a lifetime.
Tooth decay begins when bacteria and sugars in the mouth form acids that attack and erode the tooth’s enamel layer, exposing sensitive dentin tubules. Without intervention, this can lead to cavities (dental caries) and eventually tooth loss if left untreated. Fluoride prevents tooth decay by bonding with the enamel to strengthen teeth and disrupt acid production, inhibiting the progression of bacteria and remineralizing weakened areas of the teeth. Fluoride treatments are safe and effective for most adults and children.
A topical application of fluoride is the most common method for delivering fluoride to the teeth. This may take the form of a gel, foam or varnish that is applied to the teeth with a brush, swab or tray and then allowed to sit for several minutes while it is absorbed into the tooth’s enamel. In some cases, the hygienist may rinse the mouth with a concentrated fluoride solution to help strengthen teeth that have been exposed to food debris and plaque.
There are also over-the-counter mouth rinses and tablets that you can use to ingest fluoride to strengthen teeth. These are generally used as part of a routine oral hygiene regimen. These products can also be used to treat teeth that have been exposed to excess fluoride, which can result in a condition called fluorosis. This is most prevalent in children under the age of 6, and can range from barely noticeable white specks or streaks to cosmetically objectionable brown discoloration that cannot be removed with normal toothbrushing and toothpaste.
Professional fluoride treatment is typically recommended on a schedule determined by the dentist and can be provided in the office during your cleaning or checkup. This is particularly important for children and teenagers who are more prone to developing tooth decay as well as adults with conditions like gum disease, dry mouth due to medication or other reasons or those who have had restorative dental work that makes the teeth more susceptible to damage.
Gum Disease Prevention
Gum disease is a serious oral health problem that causes painful gum pockets to form around the teeth, and can eventually lead to severe tooth loss if not treated. Teeth cleanings help prevent gum disease by removing plaque and tartar, the major contributors to the condition. They also offer a chance for dental hygienists to spot and treat problems like gingivitis, an early stage of gum disease.
In addition to brushing twice a day, flossing once a day, and using an antibacterial mouthwash, you should also get regular teeth cleanings. During these cleanings, a dental hygienist will remove any hardened deposits (tartar) that have built up on the teeth, and they will also clean the areas of your mouth that you cannot reach with a toothbrush. These cleanings can reduce your risk for gum disease, and they can also detect other dental issues like tooth decay and oral cancer.
If you have already developed gum disease, your dentist may prescribe a series of treatments to slow or reverse the damage. These treatments include deep cleaning, which involves removing bacteria-filled gum pockets, and prescription antibiotics or a special mouth rinse.
During a deep cleaning treatment, your dentist will numb the area with a local anesthetic before removing bacterial plaque and hardened deposits on the surface of the teeth and on the neck of the tooth roots. This procedure is called scaling and root planing, and it is often performed along with a gingivitis treatment to improve the outcome.
Once your gum disease is under control, you can prevent it from returning by sticking to a regular oral hygiene routine. This includes brushing twice daily for a full two minutes, and flossing once per day. It is also important to limit your intake of sugary foods and drinks, as they can contribute to the formation of plaque. You should also try to get enough sleep, avoid stress, and practice a healthy diet.
If you have any questions about your gum disease or teeth cleanings, please feel free to contact us! Our friendly team will be happy to help.