The importance of dental cleanings can’t be understated. When combined with brushing and flossing regularly, it’s the best way for individuals to keep their teeth healthy and their smile bright. Also, it’s an excellent way to prevent more serious dental issues. Professional dental cleanings allow your dentist or hygienist to compare your oral health over several visits. Doing so allows your dentist to understand how or if your teeth or gums are developing any issues. Zeal Dentistry provides general dental services that can help keep up your oral health and well-being.
The Importance of Dental Cleanings
There are two main areas where the importance of dental cleanings is clear. It helps prevent cavities, and it can stop tooth loss. Plaque is a whitish film that builds up on your teeth. It is the leading cause of tooth decay. Plaque is acidic and eats away at your tooth enamel, allowing bacteria to build, causing cavities. If left unattended, these cavities can destroy a tooth forcing individuals to need a root canal or have veneers or implants because of the loss of the tooth.
Also, as plaque builds up, it can lead to gum disease. This is a major cause of tooth loss in adults. As gum disease advances, plaque moves further down the tooth, where it can destroy the supporting bone in your jaw, causing teeth to loosen and fall out. But with regular check-ups and dental cleanings, this risk is drastically reduced.
How Does a Dental Cleaning Work?
Dentists understand the importance of dental cleanings because it gives them the best look at what’s going on with a patient’s teeth and gums. Before any treatments are done, dentists will examine and clean your teeth. Doing so allows them to see if there are any issues. But what does the process involve?
First, your dentist does a visual check of your teeth and gums. They look for any issues to discuss with you, and as they do so, they ask questions. For instance, they may ask how frequently you’ve been brushing and flossing or what kind of foods you’ve been eating. This isn’t done to judge your conduct but to give them a better sense of what to look for and why they might be seeing the issues they are.
Then, using special dental tools, your dentist will thoroughly remove any film, food residue, or plaque buildup. If you have tartar around your teeth, your dentist may have to do a deeper cleaning with a scaling and root planing tool. Tartar is a mineral buildup and is yellow or brown. It gives plaque more surface area to grow and is a sticker surface allowing food to stay even after brushing and flossing. Tartar can’t be removed at home through brushing.
Thus, if it has built up, it needs professional cleaning to clear. The process is called scaling. Your dentist during the cleaning may apply a gritty paste for this. It helps to remove any surface stains on your teeth. After your teeth are cleaned, the final step is flossing in the office to remove any lingering or hiding particles and then rinsing with fluoride, which helps naturally strengthen tooth enamel.
Zeal Dentistry
If you’re wondering about the importance of dental cleanings, then Zeal Dentistry can walk you through the process. Our compassionate dentists, hygienists, and staff can answer your questions and address your concerns. Our goal is to improve your oral health. To do so, we offer a variety of dental services such as:
So reach out to us today by calling 415.792.4771. Set up an appointment or consultation today.
