treatments
Preventative cleaning
Good daily oral hygiene is the best way to reduce the need for more extensive dental treatment. Everyone should brush and floss after meals, at least twice a day. Cleaning your teeth before bedtime is especially important.
However, daily cleaning with brush and floss is sometimes not enough to keep your teeth completely clean and free from plaque-causing bacteria. Over time, this bacteria can accumulate on the teeth and gums, and form plaque along the hard-to-clean areas of your mouth, like the back teeth and along the gum line. Bacteria in plaque release acids that can damage tooth enamel and lead to cavities.
Over time, plaque mineralizes to create a hard substance called tartar (dental calculus). Once it forms on your teeth, cleaning effectively is made much more difficult. Tartar along the gum line can allow bacteria to create inflammation, leading to progressive gum disease which can ultimately cause you to lose teeth and may even degrade the bone in which your teeth are secured.
Due to its hardness and tendency to occur in inaccessible areas, removing tartar requires professional preventative cleaning, which we can provide along with your routine checkups.
Recent studies have shown that these preventative cleanings are particularly important for people with certain medical conditions or lifestyles. These include diabetes, heart disease, pregnancy, and smoking among others. Patients in this category should pay extra attention to their oral health, as the quality of their tooth cleanings and dental care can have an added impact on mitigating the damages caused by other conditions.
Good oral hygeine protects far more than your teeth and gums. Let us help you maintain your overall health through excellent dental care!
