Keeping Your Teeth Clean Can Prevent Other Problems From Developing

If you want to avoid serious oral health problems and minimize the amount of time you spend in the dental office, then getting regular cleanings is necessary.  These cleanings are intended to help prevent the build-up of bacteria in your mouth that causes decay and gum disease.

Recent research has shown that the bacteria associated with gum disease makes it way to your heart and causes heart disease.  Therefore it is imperative that you take great care of your teeth and gums.

What Is Plaque Build Up

Plaque and tartar form on our teeth.  Plaque is a very soft and sticky substance that can usually be kept off our teeth by simply brushing and using a good at home dental hygiene program.  Tartar is different.  Tartar is plaque that has hardened on the surface of the teeth.  It forms above and below your gum line and cannot be removed so easily.

When tartar builds up and gets under your gums, it can lead to much greater problems.  It starts out as gingivitis, which is the beginning of gum disease, and if not removed will lead to full blown gum disease.  You will know you have the possibility of gum disease when your gums become painful, swollen and start bleeding when you try and brush.  If this is happening to you, you need to see a dentist right away.

It takes special dental instruments to remove tarter.  The longer you let it build up, the harder it will be to remove so it is important not to let it progress.

What Is Involved In A Dental Cleaning

Here is what you can expect when you come to our office for a cleaning and polishing:

• You will receive a thorough and complete exam.
• Will check for redness around your gums and look for teeth that may have decay, breaks, chips or cracks in them.
• Our hygienist will then let you know what has been found and then will begin the cleaning and polishing

When you get a professional cleaning from our hygienist, you can be assured that you are taking proactive steps in preventing bacteria from turning into decay, gum disease and a whole host of other dental and health issues.

Polishing Your Teeth For A Beautiful Shine

Another part of the cleaning procedure is getting your teeth polished.  This part of the cleaning helps to make the surfaces of your teeth much smoother.  The smoother your tooth is, the harder it is for plaque and tarter to build up on the tooth.

To polish your teeth, we use a small, motorized rubber cup, called a prophy cup, combined with an abrasive polishing paste.  If your case of build up is a little harder than normal, we will use a special air polisher with a baking soda formula to get rid of the tougher stains.

This procedure will produce a squeaky clean mouth and can actually reverse bacteria growth.

Here is a couple of other things you need to know:

• If your build up is heavier than normal, they hygienist and doctor may suggest a deeper cleaning
• This treatment is called scaling and root planing. It removes tartar at the gum line and many times requires an anti-biotic called Arestin to eliminate bacterial infection
• Combining these treatments will lead to healthier and cleaner mouth

Your dental health is very important.  If your oral hygiene is poor, it can lead to serious health issues both in your mouth and in your physical body such as heart disease, diabetes, gingivitis and gum disease.

If you have symptoms like any mentioned here, then call our office today.