A teeth cleaning, also known as a dental and oral hygiene checkup, is a preventative dental treatment. Typically done every six months, a teeth cleaning includes a dental checkup, plaque removal, cleaning, flossing, and fluoride treatment. During the exam, we’ll search for any potential infections, oral cancer, cavities, bone loss, or tooth decay. This way, we can prevent complications and treat the issue while it’s still young. We offer this advanced teeth cleaning in San Antonio, Texas.
How Often Do I Need Teeth Cleanings?
We recommend professional teeth cleaning every six months or twice a year. This biannual appointment is perfect for identifying severe issues such as oral cancer, periodontitis, and bone decay. In some cases, research has shown more frequent cleanings to be more beneficial. While everyone’s needs are different, dental cleanings offer a space for everyone to get their teeth checked and cleaned.
Teeth Cleaning Process:
While each teeth cleaning is a personalized experience, there are six general steps:
- Physical Exam. We’ll begin the cleaning with a physical exam using a unique mirror. Our hygienist will look for gum infection, inflammation, or signs of decay.
- Remove Plaque and Tartar. We’ll use an ultrasonic scaler to remove plaque and tartar around the gumline and teeth. Scaling will reduce the risk of cavities and gingivitis and clean your breath.
- Gritty Toothpaste. Our hygienist will use a high-powered prophy brush to clean your teeth. This polishing will leave your teeth shiny and pearly white.
- Expert Flossing. We’ll remove excess and hard-to-reach plaque and bacteria from between the teeth. These “hot spots” are essential to clean regularly.
- Fluoride Treatment. Fluoride strengthens tooth enamel and protects against decay. This fluoride varnish is one of our new favorites. You can eat or drink immediately after your appointment. You will be able to pick your favorite flavor.
- Dentist Checkup. Once our hygienist has completed the cycle, we’ll grab Dr. Eric Cornelius to perform a final checkup.He will review your x-rays and do a physical exam in your mouth. After he gives the thumbs up, you’re good to go.
What are the Benefits of a Teeth Cleaning?
Teeth cleanings are metaphorical fruit baskets full of benefits:
- Prevent Cavities. Plaque can build up on your teeth, causing decay over time. With scraping, we can eliminate this risk, and our X-rays can identify cavities that have already taken hold. This process takes care of cavities that have snuck onto your teeth and prevent further cavities from worsening.
- Brighten Your Smile. It’s easy for teeth to get stained by everyday foods and drinks. Teeth cleanings undo stains, remove plaque, and brighten your teeth. We’ll clean, wash, and polish your smile during each checkup.
- Reduce Bad Breath. Reduce lousy breath with quality, comprehensive dental cleanings. You can curb foul breath with flossing, brushing, and plaque removal- all of which we do during teeth cleaning.
- Boost Overall health. Your overall health and oral health are connected. After all, the mouth is the main entryway to the body. Keeping your teeth, tongue, and gums clean lowers the risk of diabetes and heart disease. Health in one part of the body often spills over into other areas.
- Identify Gum Disease. Gum disease, also known as periodontitis, affects millions of Americans yearly. While there are correlating symptoms, they can often go unnoticed for an extended time. Failure to catch gum disease in its early stages can result in irreversible damage, bone decay, and tooth loss. We can identify gum disease during teeth cleanings and treat them accordingly.
Why are Teeth Cleanings Important?
Teeth cleanings are essential because you are important. Regular teeth cleanings prevent cavities, boost overall health, whiten your smile, and reduce bad breath. We can identify severe issues such as gum disease, oral cancer, and tooth decay. Our thorough cleanings will give your smile a hygienic boost that keeps infection at bay.
Teeth Cleaning in San Antonio, Texas
High-quality teeth cleanings have never been more accessible. At Nautical Dental, we pride ourselves on offering excellent, comfortable, and proficient treatments all year round. Dr. Eric Cornelius and our team have decades of experience and excel in all areas of dentistry. We’re excited to give you fast, effective teeth cleaning with life-long results. Teeth cleaning is just one aspect of our quality general dentistry service in San Antonio, Texas.