What is Teeth Cleaning?
Having a consistent schedule for dental appointments is essential in maintaining healthy teeth, gums, and good overall health. An important part of regular trips to your dentist should be teeth cleaning at least once a year, but preferably twice a year. An appointment every six months helps you avoid more serious issues that can result if you delay dental care.
Even if you find visits to your dentist to be somewhat stressful, teeth cleaning appointments are very important. See below to learn exactly what is involved in the teeth cleaning process and how your dedicated dental team works to ease any apprehension you might have.
Your dentist and dental hygienist take the following steps during your appointment:
- Physical Exam
- Removing Plaque and Tartar
- Cleaning with Toothpaste
- Expert Flossing
- Rinsing
- Fluoride Treatment
Step 1: Physical Exam
Before beginning the cleaning process, your dental hygienist conducts a physical exam of your entire mouth. Using a small mirror, he or she checks your teeth and gums for signs of cavities, structural issues, inflamed gums (gingivitis), or other possible concerns, which are then relayed to your dentist.
Step 2: Removing plaque and tartar
Your dental hygienist uses an instrument called a scaler to scrape and remove plaque and tartar around your gum line and in between your teeth.
Step 3: Cleaning with Toothpaste
To fully clean your teeth, the dental hygienist brushes them with a high-powered electric instrument. The special toothpaste used has a gritty consistency for gently scrubbing your teeth.
Step 4: Expert Flossing
Your dental hygienist provides expert flossing to deeply clean between your teeth and locate any potential trouble areas, especially bleeding gums.
Step 5: Rinsing
Rinsing, usually with liquid fluoride, cleans your mouth and helps remove any debris still in your mouth after the scraping, brushing, and flossing steps.
Step 6: Fluoride Treatment
The last step of the teeth cleaning process is fluoride treatment. Fluoride serves as a protectant for your teeth to help fight against cavities for several months. Your dental hygienist uses a gel or paste on a small rotating electric brush to apply fluoride to your teeth. The fluoride hardens after contact with the saliva in your mouth.
Your Dentist Completes the Final Step
Once your hygienist finishes cleaning your teeth, your dentist completes your visit by fully examining your mouth to determine whether you need additional care beyond cleaning. Depending on what your dentist finds, he or she will recommend a treatment plan for issues such as cavities or problems with your gums. For children, dentists often recommend sealants on the molars to help prevent cavities.
Other Potential Steps
Professional teeth cleanings are scheduled twice a year. One appointment includes X-rays so your dentist can look for potential problems with teeth roots or structural integrity. Issues your dentist finds do not have to be overwhelming for you or cause unneeded additional stress. The key is making and keeping regular appointments for teeth cleaning to prevent small problems from becoming more serious. By understanding what is going on in advance, you will feel more at ease.