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Dental cleaning, performed by the dental hygienist during your routine clinic visits, is the ultimate preventive care. By eliminating plaque and tartar build-up, cleaning allows you to keep a clean and healthy smile by limiting the risk of oral diseases. In this article, we discuss 3 important points about it.
The ideal frequency for dental cleaning
Generally, patients are recommended to have a routine visit every 6 to 12 months, which includes professional cleaning. The ideal time frame is nevertheless set by the dentist. To do this, he or she bases his or her decision on several criteria, including your daily hygiene habits, your lifestyle habits (diet, alcohol consumption, smoking, etc.), oral problems that you have already suffered from and that you are likely to be affected by, etc.
What happens during a dental cleaning?
Cleaning aims to remove all accumulations of dental plaque, in parts of the mouth that are more difficult to access during hygiene care at home. Dental plaque, also called “biolfilm” is a whitish deposit that is formed by a mixture of food residues, bacteria and saliva.
Aside from plaque, cleaning also aims to remove the accumulations of another bacterial deposit: tartar. The latter is a yellowish deposit that forms when dental plaque is not properly removed on a daily basis. When it comes into contact with saliva and the minerals it contains, plaque calcifies. It becomes very hard and takes on a yellowish color. This is how tartar forms.
Descaling
Due to its hardness, tartar cannot be removed by simple brushing or flossing. Only a hygienist can perform scaling of teeth, an important part of cleaning in the clinic. Using a small metal hook, the hygienist scrapes the tartar that has formed on the teeth or under the gum line. Scaling must be performed on a regular basis, since tartar accumulations are directly linked to the development of cavities as well as gum and periodontal diseases.
Once the teeth have been thoroughly cleaned and scaling has been done, the hygienist completes the cleaning by polishing the teeth with a high-powered electric toothbrush and a special toothpaste. This helps remove any stains that may have accumulated on the tooth surfaces and, thus, restores the shine to the smile.
The exam to complete the whole
Routine visits, which include cleaning as described above, would not be complete without performing a complete dental examination. This is performed by the dentist.
Cleaning is primarily intended to prevent the development of oral pathologies. However, it is not always possible to completely avoid problems such as cavities or gingivitis. In this sense, the examination aims to make a rapid diagnosis of any problem, in order to treat it quickly and prevent it from spreading. Without dental examinations carried out on a regular basis, it is risky to see problems evolve and lead to complications for oral health.
If your last routine visit was more than 12 months ago, consider contacting your dentist in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu. We will find a time to give you an appointment to take care of the health of your smile!