Most people know they should visit the dental office every six months for a cleaning. But what does this really mean? What gets cleaned off, who performs the cleaning, and what happens if you skip this professional service? These questions matter for your oral health, and we’ll answer them today.
What Is a Dental Cleaning?
The official term for a dental cleaning is “prophylaxis,” often shortened to “prophy.” Prophylactic means a preventative measure. In dental terms, it’s a treatment designed to prevent periodontal disease and tooth decay before they start.
A prophylaxis is a healthy cleaning. Your teeth get cleaned or scaled above the gumline, where plaque and tartar are removed. Plaque is a sticky bacterial colony that lives on teeth and multiplies rapidly when exposed to carbohydrates. When your dental hygienist scales your teeth, they interrupt the connection between plaque and enamel, removing harmful bacteria.
Tartar, officially called calculus, is hardened plaque. It forms when minerals from saliva deposit into plaque that has remained on tooth surfaces for extended periods. Calculus is a hard, non-living, rough surface that attracts even more plaque. Removing calculus also eliminates the bacteria living within it.
Related Article: What is Periodontal Disease & How Can You Prevent It?
The Professional Dental Cleaning Process
Your prophy appointment follows a specific sequence that ensures thorough care. Understanding each step helps you know what to expect during your visit.
Initial Assessment and Screening
Your prophy appointment involves several steps. Most of your time is spent with a dental hygienist, followed by an examination from your Gahanna dentist. Your hygienist will review your medical history, take your blood pressure, and ask about any dental problems you’re experiencing. They will take any requested X-rays and perform a head and neck cancer screening. A periodontal probing checks for gum disease.
The Cleaning Procedure
Your hygienist uses specialized instruments to remove all plaque and calculus from around your teeth above the gumline. A soft rubber cup and professional toothpaste remove the protein layer and fine stains from enamel.
The scaling process removes rough calculus and plaque using hand instruments or an ultrasonic device called a Cavitron. A Cavitron has a slender tip that produces high-frequency sound waves to vibrate calculus off teeth. A gentle water stream flows from the tip, flushing food debris, bacteria, and biofilm from gums. Your hygienist can monitor your brushing and flossing technique and coach you to healthier gums that don’t need advanced periodontal treatment.
Periodontal Assessment
The final step involves measuring between teeth and gums with a periodontal probe placed into the space at the gum edge. Healthy gums fit snugly around teeth, with healthy pockets measuring 1-3mm. If gums aren’t snug and measurements exceed 3mm with bleeding present, a different procedure becomes necessary.
Why Regular Dental Cleanings Matter
Regular cleanings do more than keep your smile bright. They serve as your first line of defense against serious health problems that start in your mouth.
Preventing Serious Dental Problems
Regular cleanings prevent small issues from becoming major problems. Early decay detection saves both teeth and money. Professional cleanings remove buildup that daily brushing and flossing cannot eliminate. After the healthy cleaning is completed, an instrument called a Diagnodent measures the presence of material related to decay in the enamel. The numbers range from 1 to 99. The higher the number, the more evidence of decay and the need for a filling.
Protecting Overall Health
Gum health has a huge impact on heart, brain, and lung health, plus your immune system and a healthy pregnancy. The inflammation and blood bacteria levels are key to these diseases and many others. The oral-systemic connection makes regular dental care essential for total body wellness.
Time spent with your hygienist and dentist is valuable. Reviewing your medicines helps alert you to side effects that show up in your oral cavity. You may not be aware of treatments for dry mouth. Acid reflux can cause significant tooth problems as well as airway problems. High blood pressure can be caught by having your blood pressure taken. X-rays help the provider see calculus under the gum tissue and if bone loss or decay is present or starting.
How Often Should You Get Dental Cleanings?
The frequency of your prophy is determined by the amount of calculus that accumulates on your teeth and how well you remove it at home. However, some medical conditions also affect the optimal frequency of hygiene visits for you.
• Every 3-4 months: Diabetics, people with heart disease, and pregnant women
• Every 6 months: Most healthy adults with good oral hygiene
Determining and committing to keeping the right dental hygiene frequency is important for overall health.
When You Need More Than a Basic Cleaning
When the spaces between teeth and gums are 4mm or greater, you have periodontal disease, also called gum disease. Pockets that are 4mm or greater and bleed when measured contain bacteria that are too deep to clean with a regular prophy.
That is when a periodontal cleaning becomes necessary. Periodontal cleaning can also be known as scaling and root planing or deep cleaning. Local anesthetic numbs the area to make it comfortable to remove the bacteria and calculus. When a full mouth of scaling and root planing is done, two separate appointments are needed. After the treatment is completed, four weeks are allowed for optimal healing and recovery from the periodontal infection.
You will then see your hygienist again to measure and assess the healing. For patients with lingering active gum disease or a history of gum disease, it is necessary to come in every four months to keep the bacteria from colonizing and risking the need for a deep cleaning again.
The Value of Professional Dental Care
Regular dental cleanings represent one of the most important investments in your health. They prevent serious dental problems, protect your overall health, and help maintain a confident smile throughout your lifetime.
Professional cleanings remove harmful bacteria and buildup that home care cannot eliminate. They allow early detection of problems when treatment is simpler and less expensive. Most importantly, they support your total health through the powerful connection between oral health and systemic wellness.
Anyone can have a confidence-boosting smile. Call us today for an appointment to discuss how we can help you keep your smile healthy for a lifetime.