Dental Cleanings
Most patients benefit from having their teeth cleaned every six months. Some patients need to come more frequently. Your dental cleaning will be performed by Dr. Foster.
During your visit, your teeth will be gently and professionally cleaned. Dr. Foster will meticulously remove hard-to-reach plaque. At this time, you may be given tips on how to improve your at-home care routine, and your hygienist can show you proper procedures for brushing and flossing.
A thorough teeth cleaning not only helps improve the health of your teeth, but also makes them look great! A good cleaning can actually have a whitening effect on your smile. Your cleaning will leave you looking and feeling great.
Routine Teeth Cleaning
Routine dental cleanings include:
- Tarter/calculus removal. When dental plaque is not removed frequently enough or in an ineffective manner, it becomes exposed to the calcium and phosphate in our saliva. This makes it hard like bone, and only our dental instruments and ultrasonics can remove it.
- Plaque/stain removal. Soft plaque deposits and stain are removed with our dental polisher and prophylactic paste. Dr. Foster will provide oral hygiene instructions at your appointment so you can remove plaque effectively at home.
Deep Cleaning for Periodontal Disease
Periodontal disease, or gum disease, is caused by plaque that builds up on the teeth and especially under the gumline. The sticky plaque attracts bacteria and eventually turns into hard tartar. The tartar and bacteria irritate the gums and cause infection.
Periodontal disease is a growing problem and one of the most common conditions Dr. Foster treats. While good oral hygiene habits can help to prevent periodontal disease, it can still happen. The earlier we catch it, the easier it will be to treat.
Brushing twice daily and flossing every evening using good technique will help to remove a lot of plaque, but even the most diligent brusher and flosser may have a hard time cleaning off all the plaque, especially the plaque that hides under the gumline. You can improve your chances of staving off periodontal disease by getting twice-yearly professional dental cleanings from one of our excellent dental hygienists as recommended by the American Dental Association.
Mild gum disease can often be treated with a renewed commitment to good oral hygiene habits and an antimicrobial mouthwash. Moderate-to-advanced gum disease may require a deep cleaning treatment known as scaling and root planing. During this treatment, we remove the tartar from below the gumline and get rid of the rough spots where bacteria tend to gather.
If we can answer further questions, please do not hesitate to call or email anytime!
