Dental Cleanings
We talk a lot about having good dental hygiene habits because they play the most vital role in your oral health. Habits like brushing two times a day and flossing at least once a day can really make a significant difference in the life of your teeth. The key thing to remember about a habit is that it is often performed unconsciously or with little thought given to particular details – it is, after all, a habit. It can therefore be easy to fall into procedural cleaning habits that miss certain parts of your mouth.Perhaps you brush your teeth in a certain order and after a while that becomes an unconscious habit. Many times those unconscious habits can miss a portion of the mouth entirely. This is why it is so important to come in and have your teeth professionally cleaning at least two times per year. When you come in we will have a chance to evaluate your teeth and see if there is any place that you have been routinely missing. We will let you know what you must add to your routine to make sure that you will always have your healthy teeth.
What to Expect During Your Cleaning
Full mouth cleanings are something that our highly skilled staff perform multiple times on a daily basis. They are extremely thorough and very well versed in the use of our specialized cleaning tools. The first step in any professional dental cleaning is the removal of plaque from your tooth. Plaque builds up over time and, if left unchecked, can lead to different forms of gum disease. Issues like gingivitis and periodontitis are caused by plaque build-up. Plaque is also the leading cause of cavities. It is made of bacteria that accumulates in your mouth in hard to reach areas.
Once we have the plaque under control the focus is shifted to any tartar that has built up between your visits to see us. Tartar is an advanced stage of plaque buildup. When plaque has been allowed to sit in an area of the mouth long enough is starts to solidify. Once hardened, plaque is referred to as tartar and the issue of bacterial buildup can snowball. Tartar provides a place on the tooth where plaque can easily stick which generally leads to more tartar. To remove tartar, we usually use a tool called a scaler. With the scaler we are able to gently pull the tartar from the tooth.
Once we have removed any plaque and tartar present on your teeth we are able to give them a good polishing. Polishing teeth helps to get rid of stains and marks on the enamel of your teeth leaving your teeth whiter and more clean looking. Polishing teeth also helps to promote a healthier, stronger tooth.
All of our dental cleanings are followed by a full mouth examination, where we check for cavities and any other issues that may have developed between visits.
Nothing beat the soft, clean feeling of a freshly cleaned mouth. Please call our office today at (315) 766-2770 to setup your cleaning and dental examination!
