Did you know that dental professionals recommend getting your teeth cleaned at least once a year? Even if you have no natural teeth or use dentures, hygiene appointments are important for maintaining good oral health.
However, routine hygiene appointments aren’t always enough, and sometimes, patients need a deep cleaning. But, what does the dental deep cleaning procedure involve? In this post, you’ll find out, so keep reading!
Standard Dental Cleaning vs Deep Cleaning
Typically, a regular dental cleaning procedure takes less than an hour and leaves your teeth feeling fresh and clean. First, a hygienist scrapes away plaque and tartar from the surface of your teeth and examines them for any issues. Then, they finish off by polishing your teeth using gritty toothpaste.
However, deep cleanings are more thorough, focusing on hard-to-reach areas below the gum line, such as the pockets at the tooth’s base.
Dentists use techniques like periodontal scaling and root planing to remove tartar that builds up and causes bacterial infections. Moreover, if the tartar is especially stubborn, they can use an ultrasonic device to tackle it. When you don’t brush plaque away, it hardens and creates tartar, which only a professional can remove. And, if plaque stays on your teeth, you may develop gingivitis, a gum disease that often has no signs early on.
Depending on how sensitive your teeth are and the severity of your tartar, you may have to break the deep cleaning into several sessions. However, the time spent is well worth the benefits, so let’s see what they are!
Benefits of Deep Dental Cleanings
Deep dental cleanings benefit your oral health and many ways, but they primarily focus on two things. First, deep cleanings remove plaque and tartar, substances that form due to bacteria. Even if you have healthy teeth, your mouth is full of bacteria that mix with food, forming plaque. Although you can remove it by regular brushing and flossing, some areas may be hard to clean if you have crowded or misaligned teeth.
When you don’t brush plaque away, it hardens and creates tartar, which only a professional can remove. And, if plaque stays on your teeth, you may develop gingivitis, a gum disease that often has no signs early on.
Thus, the second objective of deep cleanings is to stop gingivitis from progressing and turning into a more serious form of gum disease. Removing tartar and plaque restores the mouth to a healthier condition, subsiding bad breath, inflammation, or bleeding gums.
No doubt, these benefits are enough reason to make an appointment for a dental cleaning, so you can learn more about selecting a dentist here.
Prioritize Oral Care with a Dental Deep Cleaning Procedure!
The dental deep cleaning procedure is more tedious than regular cleanings, but it prevents serious oral health issues. And after your procedure, you’ll be able to maintain a healthy smile by sticking to good hygiene and regular hygiene appointments.