While maintaining a healthy smile depends upon keeping your teeth and gums clean at home, even those with the most diligent brushing and flossing routines can find it challenging to reach every nook and cranny between the teeth and gums. For this reason, we emphasize the importance of routine dental cleanings.
Since plaque harbors the bacteria responsible for cavities and gum disease, its removal is essential for maintaining good oral health. Our office encourages patients to come in twice a year for professional dental cleanings. In this way, our hygienist can remove any accumulated plaque, tartar, and food debris from between the teeth and gums.
Routine dental cleanings offer the following benefits:
Dental cleanings are performed using either hand instruments or with an ultrasonic scaler. While hand instruments are designed to scrape harmful deposits off the surface of the teeth, an ultrasonic scaler uses a steady stream of water coupled with varying vibration frequencies to clean them. For best results, our hygienist may use both methods in combination with each other.
Because a routine dental cleaning involves the superficial areas around the neck of the tooth and stays above or just slightly below the gumline, it's typically a pain-free and simple procedure. For those patients with sensitive teeth and other dental issues that may cause discomfort during a cleaning, topical numbing gels or local anesthesia are used.
Once the areas around the teeth and gums have been cleaned, our hygienist will then polish your teeth to remove superficial stains. In addition to going home with a smile that feels fresh and clean, we'll also provide you with instructions on the best methods of brushing and flossing and useful dietary guidance to support optimal oral health.
Remember, dental cleanings play an essential role in preventive care. At the office of iCare Family Dentistry, we help patients establish a strong foundation for a lifetime of good oral health.
A professional dental cleaning is a preventive procedure where our hygienist removes plaque, tartar, and bacteria to protect your smile from cavities and gum disease, supporting your long-term oral health.
Most patients benefit from professional dental cleanings every six months, though your dentist may recommend a customized schedule based on your oral health needs.
During your visit, a hygienist uses specialized tools, including hand instruments and an ultrasonic scaler, to remove plaque and tartar above and slightly below the gumline, followed by polishing and oral hygiene guidance.
Routine cleanings are generally pain-free. If you have sensitivity, our team can provide topical numbing gels or local anesthesia to ensure your comfort.
Professional cleanings help prevent cavities, reverse early gum disease (gingivitis), reduce bad breath, and promote overall health by eliminating harmful bacterial buildup.
Most professional dental cleanings take about 30 to 60 minutes, depending on the amount of plaque and tartar to be removed and any additional oral health needs.
Yes, regular dental cleanings are key to preventing periodontal disease by removing harmful deposits that harbor bacteria responsible for gum inflammation.
Yes, after removing buildup, your hygienist will polish your teeth to remove surface stains and leave your smile looking fresher and brighter.
Absolutely. After your cleaning, we provide personalized advice on brushing, flossing, and diet to help you maintain a healthy smile at home.
You can easily schedule or reschedule a dental cleaning by calling our office, booking online, or using our appointment request form through our contact page, making it simple to stay on track with your preventive care.
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