Dental Cleanings
Cleanings Maintain Optimal Oral Health
Routine dental cleanings are essential to maintaining good oral hygiene. A hygienist can remove mineralized plaque that may develop even with careful brushing and flossing, particularly in areas that are difficult to reach. It is recommended you go in for a cleaning once every six months and is an easy way to maintain your overall health.
Dental Cleanings are Easy and Comfortable
You can expect your dental cleaning to last between 45 minutes and an hour for adults and 30 minutes for children. Typically, one of our trained hygienists will do the cleaning, and Dr. Sioutis will come in for an exam at the end. Most people find that dental cleanings are painless and do not cause any discomfort.
Your appointment will begin with one of our hygienists updating your medical records and medications. It is important for your oral health care staff to know your current medications due to the fact that many have oral side effects or need to be considered during certain procedures. Your blood pressure is taken, all your concerns are noted, and any required x-rays are taken at this time. In addition, a visual oral cancer exam is done at each hygiene appointment. Once a year your hygienist will also update your periodontal readings, which measure the health of the bone structure surrounding your teeth.
There are two important steps to a dental cleaning. The first step is scaling the teeth, whereby the hygienist will remove the plaque and tartar from the tooth surfaces. This can be performed by hand or with electric scalers depending on the hygienist's preference. Typically, the hygienist will also remove any plaque buildup in the pockets of the gums.
The second step is polishing to remove any final plaque and buff the teeth. Polishers generally have several different sized heads to clean hard to reach places. During and after the appointment your hygienist will spend time providing oral health education and possibly recommending oral health products to improve your smile.
