How Often Should I Have My Teeth Professionally Cleaned?
You indulge in teeth cleaning at home by brushing your teeth twice daily and flossing them once as your dentist recommends. However, you receive text messages from your dentist that you are due for oral prophylaxis every six months, which makes you wonder how frequently you must have your teeth professionally cleaned.
Do you realize why your dentist reminds you about getting your teeth examined and cleaned every six months? If you don’t, let us remind you that your dentist tries to help you avoid dental infections from developing in your mouth despite maintaining excellent dental hygiene practices. The dentist aims to identify and treat issues like cavities and gum disease if present in your mouth before they aggravate into severe conditions that might need restorations and more frequent appointments with them to maintain the issues. In reality, infections can develop in your mouth despite remaining meticulous with your dental hygiene routine. Therefore getting your dental health examined and cleaned every six months is an essential practice you must consider to benefit your dental health.
Happenings during a Dental Exam
Dental exams are merely an examination of your mouth when the dentist looks at your oral cavity and every tooth by capturing x-rays to identify potential problems. Dentists are aware cavities can develop on and between your teeth, and dental x-rays help them identify the problem and provide treatments before they aggravate it. When examining your teeth, the dentist also tries to identify signs of chipping and cracking resulting from teeth grinding or a bad bite creating TMJ disorders.
Your head and neck are also examined to ensure everything is normal, besides examining your mouth, looking for lumps and lesions that don’t subside and indicate signs of oral cancer. Dentists conclude the oral exam by creating a personalized plan for your dental care advising treatments that you might require or preventive practices you must adopt to keep your dental health in optimal shape.
The Dental Cleaning Process
The dental cleaning process involves cleaning your teeth by the hygienist looking to eliminate plaque and tartar on the teeth and below the gum line. Unfortunately, dental plaque constantly forms on your teeth to harden into tartar within two days despite brushing and flossing diligently. You can remove dental plaque from brushing and flossing, but tartar requires professional help for removal, making the cleaning from the hygienist essential.
When you get a dental exam and cleaning in Burlington, ON, the exam and cleaning are combined in one appointment. After the dentist examines your teeth, the hygienist takes over to continue the cleaning.
During the cleaning, the hygienist uses a tiny mirror and scraper to remove dental plaque and hardened tartar by scraping your teeth and below the gum line. If you have excessive tartar on your teeth, you might hear more scraping sounds as the hygienist works on your teeth. Eliminating tartar from your teeth provides freedom from severe conditions like periodontal disease requiring frequent appointments with dentists for maintenance.
After plaque and tartar removal, your teeth receive a polishing with a high-powered electric toothbrush and gritty toothpaste to remove any plaque remaining between your teeth and eliminate surface stains on them. You might not like the sounds of the polishing but will undoubtedly relish the brighter smile you receive after the hygienist completes the polishing.
You also receive an expert flossing lesson which you might think is unnecessary if you floss daily at home. However, the hygienist gets deep between your teeth to identify trouble spots that might bleed from your gums when flossing. Finally, before concluding the cleaning process, the hygienist gives you a fluoride treatment to strengthen tooth enamel and battle cavities for several months.
Home Care Recommendations
After the exam and cleaning, the dentist and hygienist discuss home care recommendations suggesting changes you must incorporate into your everyday cleaning routine and diet if required to maintain excellent oral health. For example, while daily brushing and flossing continue to remain the cornerstone, the dentist might suggest using additional tools like rinsing with antibacterial mouthwash or using an electric toothbrush to clean your teeth more fluently than manual toothbrushes.
The frequency of dental exams and cleanings shouldn’t fall below every six months for adults, children, and the elderly. It is a preventive measure to help everyone enjoy better oral health.
After reading why these exams and cleanings are essential, would you continue to believe your dentist unnecessarily bothers you every six months to visit them? You will likely feel you must contact Harbourview Dental today to schedule this preventive measure for your entire family to prevent unnecessary pain and expenditure.