Dental Cleaning in Stafford, VA
Dental Cleaning
If you’ve ever been to a dentist’s office, you’ve received a professional cleaning. This routine practice is sort of like hitting a reset button on your teeth, removing harmful build up that can cause further issues.
What is Dental Cleaning?
Dental cleaning is more than the average brushing and flossing that you do at home. A professional cleaning is when a dentist or dental hygienist removes plaque and hard tartar deposits from the surfaces of your teeth with specialized tools. It’s important to have this completed regularly as it prevents common issues such as cavities and gum disease.
Steps of a Cleaning
1. Dental Exam
Before they begin the actual cleaning, the dentist or dental hygienist will use a small mirror to check the teeth and gums for any sign of cavities, infection, or gingivitis. If any major problem is detected, the cleaning may have to be postponed or adjusted as to not irritate the affected teeth.
2. Plaque and Tartar Removal
A small instrument called a scaler is used to scrape plaque and tartar from the teeth and gumline. This is also used to remove any build up between teeth. If you have sensitive teeth, this scraping may be uncomfortable, but it should not be painful. The more consistently you brush and floss your teeth at home, the less plaque and tartar they’ll need to remove.
3. Toothpaste Cleaning
Once all the plaque and tartar has been removed, the dentist or hygienist uses a gritty toothpaste and electric toothbrush to gently exfoliate the teeth. This both thoroughly cleans and polishes the teeth.
4. Floss
The dentist will then floss your teeth thoroughly to remove any leftover plaque or toothpaste that could’ve gotten stuck in crevices. They can also find problem areas in the mouth through flossing by noticing where the gums bleed, as bleeding during flossing is a sign of possible further issues.
5. Rinse
Once the flossing is complete, the dentist or hygienist will have you rinse with either water or a fluoride liquid.
6. Fluoride Protection
The last step to a professional cleaning is applying a fluoride solution to protect the teeth until your next cleaning. This appears as a foamy gel or paste and should sit on the teeth for about a minute before it hardens.
How Often Should you Get a Cleaning?
It is highly recommended to get a teeth cleaning every 6 months to most effectively prevent cavities and other issues like gingivitis or catch them before they develop into worse issues.
Final Thoughts
If you’re in the Stafford, VA area and haven’t gotten your teeth cleaned recently, visit Precision Smile Dentistry to perform a regular cleaning. This will leave you with shiny pearly whites and guarantee that your oral health stays in tip top shape!