A dental cleaning and professional exam are done as part of your preventative care routine. Our goal here at Coello Dentistry is to provide you with comprehensive examinations and cleanings to keep your teeth and mouth healthy. It is recommended that you come into the office twice a year for an exam and cleaning. We can provide this care to you in a warm, welcoming environment.
Good oral hygiene is important for your general health. Avoiding your regular dental visits can lead to a variety of dental and medical issues including cavities, restoration problems as well as gum disease, infection, bone loss and oral cancer. The professional cleaning is performed by our licensed hygienist who works to check both tooth and gum health. Both the exam and cleaning are done in under an hour in our family-friendly office.
What are the different types of dental cleanings?
Prohylaxis: A prophylaxis cleaning is a teeth cleaning procedure that is mainly used on individuals with an overall healthy mouth. A prophylaxis cleaning is designed to perform routine maintenance, such as removing an expected amount of tartar and plaque from the surface of teeth, gums and in between teeth. For those who visit the dentist regularly and practice good oral hygiene, a prophylaxis cleaning is likely to be the recommended teeth cleaning procedure. Although those who receive a prophylaxis teeth cleaning generally have a fairly healthy mouth to start with, it can help individuals remove unwanted plaque and any minor stains that exist on the surface of the teeth.
Gross Debridement: In the event an individual has not visited the dentist in several years, there is likely to be a fair amount of plaque that has built up on the gums, teeth and in between teeth. Subsequently, a gross debridement, which is a deep cleaning used to remove tartar and plaque in all areas of the mouth, is often utilized for individuals who have not visited the dentist in a while. However, not everyone who has not visited the dentist in a while receives a gross debridement. The first thing the dentist does is perform an oral examination. After the oral exam, the dentist decides whether a routine prophylaxis teeth cleaning is enough or if a gross debridement is needed before the prophylaxis cleaning.
Scaling and Root Planing: SRP is a slightly more invasive teeth cleaning procedure (non-surgical) that involves a deep cleaning of the gums, gum line and other supporting structures of teeth. SRP is recommended for individuals who suffer from gum diseases such as gingivitis or periodontitis. Since SRP involves smoothing out the surface of the tooth root and removing any tartar and plaque that exists, it can at times take multiple dental visits to complete.
Periodontal Maintenance: A periodontal maintenance cleaning refers to routine maintenance for individuals who suffer from serious oral concerns such as gingivitis or periodontitis. Many patients who have had SRP or diagnosed with periodontal disease will require periodontal maintenance cleanings every 3-4 months or until all oral health concerns are properly dealt with and the symptoms of gum disease are managed and fully under control.
What happens if bacteria is not removed?
If the calculus accumulates on the teeth over a long period of time, that provides the right conditions for bacteria to thrive next to the gums. The purpose of the cleaning is to clean the surfaces of the teeth and leave it smooth, so that bacteria cannot stick to them.
