Why You Should Have Your Teeth Regularly Cleaned
Why keeping up with your cleanings are so important:
Anyone working in the dental field can confirm just how important keeping up with your cleaning appointment is, not only just for your oral health but the health of your whole body too.
We hear it all the time as routine cleanings are unfortunately labeled as “just a cleaning”,sometimes being postponed, brushed off, or set as a, “when I can get to it”, appointment but talk to any dental professional and you will learn that so much more is going into your preventive care appointments. They are set to ensure the health of your mouth and preservation of your smile.
What is happening at your hygiene appointment:
Any good cleaning should be conducted by a board certified hygienist and include:
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X-Rays - For proper diagnosis and exam purposes
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Scaling of the plaque and tartar - Removes build-up surrounding the gum line. This helps reduce build-up and gum disease.
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Perio Depth Check - Done to check the health of the gums. Recording measurements can ensure as gum tissue changes they are able to detect a potential problem before any serious perio maintenance is needed. Generally, it is a conversation about how we have been brushing and possibly being more diligent in a specific location.
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A Prophy - Done by a high powered small rubber cup and gritty paste to polish and brighten your smile.
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Flossing - We should be doing this step every day but don't pass up the opportunity to have a professional show you how it's done.
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Exam - Getting to know the dentist and understanding how to move forward with your oral health needs.
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Rinse and Repeat: Maintaining your oral health can be painless and in some cases an enjoyable experience. Make sure you follow each visit with the scheduling of a recare appointment. Scheduled about 6 months apart and generally covered 100% but insurance with a small out of pocket deductible. No insurance, no problem. We offer great new patient specials and membership benefits plans.
Our mouth is undergoing a constant battle from the daily stress we put it under from our diet choices to bad habit we might take on. Keeping up with the removal of the plaque, tartar and additional preventive care allows your mouth a fighting chance and is leveling the playing field. If we neglect to fight for our team it allows the other side the opportunity to take over and win, leading to gum disease and bone loss surrounding the teeth. Plaque and tartar eventually lead to irritation and inflammation of the gum causing them to enlarge. This put additional stress on the gums leading to bone loss and the loss of teeth if untreated.
Stubbs dental explains gum disease
When present, gum disease is unfortunately not curable but we are able to maintain it by performing a deep cleaning that goes beyond what a regular cleaning entails. A hygienist is the one other licenses professional besides the dentist that can go subgingivally (under the gum tissue) to access the tooth root and remove built-up calculus that forms in pockets when gum disease is present. Nobody likes to be reminded of the millions of bacteria present in the mouth but when left alone can cause havoc on your oral health. Inflammation is the bodies natural defense against such attacks, unfortunately, it leads to additional stress on the tissue and the cause of bone loss and reduced gum lines. When maintenance is performed properly it removes bacteria and inflammation from such pockets, ultimately giving the tissue more time to defend and react when attacked. After being placed on perio maintenance it should be done 3-4 times a year.
Fortunately seeing a hygienist for regular cleanings should prevent the need for any perio maintenance and prolong the health of your smile ultimately saving you a lot of time and money.
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