Teeth cleaning is officially called dental prophylaxis, and it’s essential preventative care that reduces the likelihood you will develop gum disease. It’s also the right treatment if you already have gum disease and want to mitigate the symptoms by slowing the growth and spread of bacteria for better oral health. Teeth cleaning removes slimy yellow plaque as well as plaque that has hardened into calculus or tartar, a substance that can keep gums from properly adhering and make teeth look dull.
The primary purpose of teeth cleaning is to prevent disease and help treat the disease that’s already present. In most cases, the cleaning takes less than an hour – maybe only 30 minutes or so – and is recommended every six months unless you have an unusual buildup of tartar or already have gum disease. For some, more frequent cleanings are a good idea; for a few, less frequent cleanings are okay.
Benefits Of Teeth Cleaning
Professional Teeth Cleaning
Among the best defenses against periodontal disease is a professional dental cleaning to complement the daily oral hygiene you do at home. Gum disease is the top reason that adults in the United States lose their teeth, making preventative care critically important for overall dental and oral health. Most adults have some type of gum disease at some point in life, and it won’t get better or go away unless it’s treated. Cleaning also prevents tooth decay and associated cavities.
Specific benefits of preventative professional teeth cleaning include:
- Removal of tartar and plaque from visible tooth surfaces
- Removal of plaque, debris, and tartar from below the gum line
- Assessment of overall oral health
- Examining of gums for signs of gum disease
- Examination of teeth for signs of decay
- Providing instructions about how to brush and floss correctly
- And more.
If the examination portion of a regular teeth cleaning determines that gum disease is present, there are at least four options for treating it that your San Diego dentist may suggest:
Frequent in-office cleaning. This is the standard treatment explained above and maybe all that’s necessary to treat and prevent mild gum disease.
Deep cleaning. More intensive than simple dental cleaning, a deep cleaning, scaling, and planning procedure removes bacteria and plaque from pockets that have formed between teeth and gums.
Laser gum treatment. Quicker and less invasive than surgery, laser gum treatment takes a gentle approach to ridding pockets of bacteria, plaque, and debris and allowing gums to heal and seal better around teeth.
Gum disease surgery. A variety of surgical procedures can treat gum disease, and your dentist can recommend a surgical procedure for you if it’s necessary after deep cleaning and other less invasive treatments.
Get on the path toward a healthier smile by reaching out to a San Diego Dentist Association member today. You deserve clean, healthy teeth and gums, and dental cleaning is the right step toward establishing and maintaining oral health.
Talk to San Diego Dentist Association at (619) 745-6870 today about how a good dental clean could improve your teeth and oral hygiene.