Everything You Need To Know About Teeth Cleanings

Dentist Blog

Whether your goal is to improve your oral health or enhance your smile, teeth cleaning is an essential component of your dental routine. Dental teeth cleanings are a preventive treatment that removes plaque from your teeth and gum line before it can cause cavities and other oral health problems. Here's what you need to know about teeth cleanings.

The Appointment is Fast and Painless

No anesthetic is required for a dental cleaning. A dental hygienist will use special tools to remove plaque from your teeth; they'll also floss and brush your teeth before polishing them.

Depending on your dental needs, your dental cleaning may be combined with other preventive procedures, like a dental examination, fluoride treatment, or taking x-rays of your mouth. 

Dental Cleanings Improve Your Oral Health in Several Different Ways

If you skip your teeth cleanings, you're at a higher risk of experiencing conditions that can affect your oral and overall health, like cavities and gum disease. Removing plaque while it's in its early stages prevents cavities from forming on your teeth. Cavities that aren't promptly dealt with can cause extensive tooth damage that demands more intensive treatment like a filling or tooth extraction. 

Regular teeth cleanings also remove bacteria that impact your gum health. If your gums are diseased, you may experience gum recession that increases your chances of experiencing tooth loss. 

A Teeth Cleaning Can Alleviate Bad Breath

Though occasional bad breath may be caused by something that you've drunk or eaten, chronic bad breath is actually a common sign of gum disease. If old food particles are trapped in your gum tissue, these particles cause bacteria that cause your breath to smell unpleasant. 

Teeth cleanings will remove plaque from all the surfaces in your mouth so that your breath smells fresh and your smile is as healthy as possible. 

Teeth Cleanings Should Begin at a Young Age

Both children and adults can benefit from regular teeth cleanings. It's a misconception that baby teeth aren't important because kids eventually lose them; baby teeth can still get infected if decay is left unchecked, leading to an uncomfortable infection. Baby teeth also hold space for a child's adult teeth to come in. 

Children should begin seeing a dentist as soon as they have their first tooth. Early teeth cleanings will help your child get used to the dentist and allow any problems with their oral health to be detected as early as possible. For more information on dentistry, contact a professional near you.

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18 May 2023