| |
Professional Cleanings and Dental Checkups
Help Keep You and Your Mouth Healthy
A dental checkup and a professional dental cleaning (also known as a prophylaxis) that is done in your dentist’s office is a crucial part of good oral health. To begin with, a dental checkup can help ensure that your at-home oral hygiene routine is helping to keep your teeth and gums healthy. If you are unsure of the effectiveness of the way you brush and floss your teeth or the products you use, your dental hygienist can instruct you in the best methods and your dentist can recommend products that will support your daily oral hygiene habits.
Plaque is a clear, sticky film of bacteria that builds up on your teeth. If it is not removed from your teeth and gums, it will eventually harden into calculus, or tartar, which is often the cause behind a variety of problems including cavities and gum disease. While flossing and brushing can be effective in removing a large percentage of the plaque that exists in your mouth, calculus can only be removed by using special dental tools and procedures. Removing calculus is imperative for good oral health because if it is not removed, it creates a perfect environment for more calculus buildup which is detrimental to not only your oral health, but your general health as well.
A dental cleaning appointment also gives the dentist the opportunity to assess any treatments that may be necessary such as catching cavities when they are small or treating gum disease in the early stages so that it does not build into something serious. A professional cleaning appointment and dental checkup will include some or all of the following:
Tooth brushing and flossing instructions
Checking your lower jaw joints
Plaque and calculus removal
Tooth scaling and planings, if needed
Removing Stains
Tooth polishing
Flossing between your teeth
Examining your gums
Periodontal disease diagnosis
Checking for cavities and/or tooth fractures, chips or broken teeth
Checking for loose teeth
Evaluating current restorations such as fillings, veneers, crowns, implants, bridges, inlays, onlays, etc.
Fluoride treatments
Looking at the tissue inside of your mouth
Examining your tongue
Checking your bite
Oral cancer screenings
Dental x-rays
Since research has shown a link between gum disease and other diseases, regular dental visits and cleanings are vitally important to ensure not only your oral health, but your overall health as well. Most dental cleanings are scheduled for every six months, but the frequency of these visits depends on the oral health of each individual, their dental hygiene habits, their tendency toward the buildup of plaque and calculus, and whether or not they are prone to periodontal inflammation and tooth decay. |
