How Important Are Professional Dental Cleanings?

Unless you happen to be a dentist and have a fully equipped dental studio in your own home and have a qualified and conscientious dental hygienist in your immediate family, you cannot — no matter how frequently and diligently you brush, floss and try — get your teeth and gums as clean at home as your dentist in SE Calgary and their staff can achieve for you.

Let’s face it, there’s clean and then there’s clean. With your best effort, you’ll be able to get most plaque off most of the surfaces that you can see and reach. But the surfaces you can’t see and reach — and those little bits of plaque and collections of harmful bacteria that you miss — will eventually produce tartar and fuel tooth decay. Every day that you eat and drink and repeat the bacterial activity in your mouth between dental appointments is a day when those processes continue. Professional dental cleaning in SE Calgary resets your teeth to their ideal stage and gives you the best chance to achieve and maintain perfect dental and oral health.

Why bother?

Plaque is a layer of bacteria that grows in your mouth and is found between and on the surfaces of your teeth. It can cause periodontitis, gingivitis, and tooth decay. Tartar traps stains and forms crusty deposits on your teeth that complicate cleaning away plaque and bacteria. Tartar is produced by the interaction between plaque and your natural saliva.

Periodontitis is a serious medical condition that affects up to half of adults. Periodontitis erodes your jaw and gums, and can cause permanent loss of teeth. At its most extreme, periodontitis infection can cause significant general health issues by spreading into other parts of your body through the bloodstream. 

What happens when dentists and hygienists clean your teeth?

Professional dental cleaning near you uses materials and equipment that you can’t get your hands on. That’s why dentists can deliver results that you can’t achieve on your own, even removing plaque deposits and tartar accumulations. Deep cleaning by dentists involves six steps accomplished over roughly 30 to 60 minutes:

• A hygienist will use a sterilized dental mirror and ultrasonic tool to carefully and gently remove plaque and tartar deposits without damaging your teeth
• The hygienist will then switch to more precise hand-held tools called curettes or scalers
• The curettes or scalers will remove tiny deposits from your teeth one at a time, and smoothen the surface of your teeth after the tartar has been removed
• Once all your teeth are freed of plaque and tartar, prophylaxis paste will be used to polish your teeth
• Finally, you may receive flavoured fluoride to protect your teeth from plaque and tartar buildup and to restore some of the mineral loss in your teeth between checkups and cleanings

Will it hurt? Most people find the process of getting their teeth professionally cleaned completely painless, though the sounds and vibrations involved can take some getting used to. If you’re anxious about any part of the process, let your dentist know so they can describe how to make it as comfortable as possible. 

How often do you need to have your teeth cleaned?

As a general rule, dentists recommend that patients have their teeth professionally cleaned every six to twelve months along with maintaining rigorous attention to the details of daily dental care — brushing, flossing and using mouthwash. Getting your teeth professionally cleaned is not an alternative to good daily hygiene habits at home! Your dentist will examine your medical and personal history for any risk factors that suggest a more frequent or different personalized treatment plan should be developed for you. 

If you’re ready for teeth that are clean and healthy and have the best possible chance of staying that way, contact a dentist near you today to schedule a professional cleaning.