There are many ways you can play an active role in maintaining your oral health, like brushing after every meal or flossing daily. Having a regular teeth cleaning & dental checkups in our office is another excellent place to start.
Our qualified hygienists and dentists can identify—and remove—plaque and tartar buildup in problem areas where your toothbrush doesn’t reach, preventing tooth decay and thoroughly cleaning your smile.
Why Is it Important to Have Teeth Cleanings and Checkups Regularly?
The American Dental Association recommends attending regular dental check-ups and getting your teeth cleaned professionally every six months.
Even with a dedicated oral hygiene routine, bacterial plaque can accumulate in the harder-to-reach areas of your smile, fostering decay and increasing your chances of developing gum disease.
With regular dental checkups, we can catch any potential problems early—long before they become serious. If there’s plaque buildup, we can conduct an extensive dental cleaning, keep your teeth and gums healthy.
Some of the benefits of this treatment combination include:
- Healthier bones and gums.
- Longer lasting teeth.
- Early detection and treatment of cancer and other oral health conditions.
- Beautiful, healthy smiles.
What Happens When We Miss Our Teeth Cleanings?
Failure to keep up on proper oral hygiene can lead to:
- Tooth decay and dental sensitivity. If left untreated, this can even lead to tooth loss.
- An impaired ability to eat and digest foods caused by toothaches leading to nutritional and systemic problems.
- Bad breath, resulting from advancing periodontal disease and/or rotting food particles.
- Negative effects on cardiovascular well-being and overall health.
- Gum infection and gangrene.
What to Expect at Your First Checkup
Our dental cleaning appointments are about an hour long, typically lasting a bit longer for new patients. We take pride in getting to know each new visitor to tailor each treatment to their health needs and goals.
Still, here’s an overview of what you can expect the first time you come to our office:
- Dental History: A hygienist will gather dental and medical histories to give us a clear picture of your current health, including any medical conditions that can impact your treatment.
- Digital X-rays: We take digital X-rays as diagnostic material for your comprehensive oral exam. If you have had X-rays taken within the last 12 months, please have them sent to our office. If you cannot have X-rays taken, please inform the hygienist as you give your medical history.
- Oral Screening and Teeth Exams: After we perform an oral cancer/lesion screening for symptoms of cancer and other illnesses, such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes, we will examine your teeth for decay.
- Gum Evaluation and Teeth Cleanings: Our hygienist will evaluate your gums, measuring periodontal pockets with a probe, and clean your teeth by identifying and removing areas of tartar, plaque, and calculus.
- Oral Hygiene Habits: We end your visit by reviewing and reinforcing proper oral hygiene.
How’s the Teeth Cleaning Procedure in Detail?
When you come in for a cleaning, your dental hygienist identifies and removes plaque—a soft film that can be removed by brushing—and tartar—a hardened plaque that requires dental instruments for removal.
We make every effort to clean all surfaces of your teeth, including the tiny spaces between your teeth and along gum lines where bacteria gather. Lastly, we often complete the cleaning with prophy paste. Its coarse texture removes any remaining plaque as it dissolves into a finer texture, leaving the teeth shiny and smooth.
At the end of your appointment, we’ll point out any spots that need extra care and offer tips to make brushing and flossing even easier. We want to set you up for success in maintaining a healthy smile!
Are There Different Kinds of Teeth Cleanings?
No. Prophylaxis—a fancy word for teeth cleaning—is the only dental procedure. Dental prophylaxis involves routine teeth cleaning every six months.
However, several dental procedures are sometimes called “cleanings,” even when they’re not. These are periodontal treatments, such as:
- Full Mouth Debridement: A pre-cleaning for those with severe calculus build-up.
- Scaling and Root Planning: A deep cleaning for those with early stages of gum disease.
- Perio Maintenance: A periodontal cleaning for those with a history of gum disease.
What’s the Cost of Teeth Cleaning?
Most dental insurance policies include benefits that cover teeth cleanings. After all, not maintaining good oral hygiene will likely lead to astronomical costs, as failure to keep up with teeth cleaning often leads to serious and expensive health problems.
Still, we understand that every patient’s budgetary situation differs, so we are happy to discuss yours. At a consultation, we present any possible upfront costs and financing options to help you navigate your insurance benefits.
Our main objective is to help you have a successful oral health experience.
Oral Hygiene Tips: How to Prevent Tooth Decay
While regular dental cleanings are necessary, maintaining proper oral hygiene at home plays a big role in fighting tooth decay and infection. Some practices to enforce in your day-to-day include:
- Brush twice and floss once daily.
- Have dental cleanings and checkups twice a year.
- Eat fewer sugary and acidic foods.
- Take fluoride tablets, which make teeth more resistant to decay.
- Ask your dentist about additional cleaning supplements.
Understanding the Importance of Teeth Cleaning & Dental Checkups
Preventative care is the foundation of a healthy smile. Only by brushing after every meal, flossing daily, and getting a dental cleaning at Dentistry at Kennestone every six months can you prevent plaque buildup and stop decay before it even happens.
If you’re due for a dental cleaning soon, contact us! Our friendly staff is ready to answer all your questions and help you schedule an appointment.
