Having your teeth cleaned is an essential task that dentists consider to be vital to our health. If you don’t want your teeth to suffer or be overrun with plaque and bacteria, scheduling a teeth cleaning session with your dentist is very important to be done as frequently as possible – while sticking to the recommended advice of your dentist Lone Tree area.
But what exactly constitutes a teeth cleaning session, and how often should you have one? We will attempt to give clear and helpful answers to these and many other questions below.
What Happens During a Basic Teeth Cleaning?
Teeth cleaning is scheduled by your dentist, but performed by your hygienist. When you schedule your appointment for teeth cleaning, your dental hygienist will have everything prepared from the start, so all you have to do is walk into the dentist’s office and sit in the chair.
The session typically begins with a physical exam pertaining to your entire mouth and covering all areas to check for plaque, cavities and signs of the onset of gingivitis. Other, less common problems will also be held in check, and the hygienist will then call the dentist to confirm whether or not it’s all right to proceed with the cleaning.
The procedure will typically entail the use of a scaler for eliminating tartar and plaque from your teeth. Guided by a tiny mirror, your hygienist will clean both the front and the back of your teeth, after which they will brush your teeth using a high power electric brush for deep cleaning purposes. Finally, after an expert flossing session, the rinsing process ensues, followed by a fluoride treatment to nourish and protect your enamel.
When Should You Get Your Teeth Cleaned?
So, what is the recommended timeframes for getting teeth cleaned? Typically, there is a conventional rule that says the recommended amount of time to wait between cleaning sessions is 6 months. However, this doesn’t apply to everyone, and depending on your specific needs, your dentist might recommend something different.
The answer will depend on how you take care of your teeth. Do you floss every day, brush 2-3 times per day and use mouthwash? Do you use special, fluoride-rich toothpaste? And even more importantly, do you avoid harmful foods while using foods such as cheese, almonds and leafy greens to gain the necessary nutrients for fortifying your teeth? If you answered ‘yes’ to all these questions then chances are the dentist will have very little to do even 6 months or more after your last cleaning session. In that case, it’s usually fine if you wait even up to 12 months before going back.
On the other hand, if you tend to have a habit of not taking proper care of your teeth, you might have to return sooner than 6 months. In most cases, it will be up to the dentist to determine that, but you will have to be perfectly honest and transparent about your brushing and flossing habits, as well as everything else mentioned above.
The teeth cleaning process is very important, not only from a cosmetic point of view but primarily in terms of keeping your health and the integrity of your teeth intact. Make sure to follow the recommendations above and listen to your dentist regarding any changes that might be necessary, such as having to set up appointments for more frequent visits to the dentist, whenever it might be needed.