Dental Care

Dental Hygiene – Why Teeth Cleaning Is Necessary

Teeth Cleaning Las Vegas is necessary to ensure that your teeth and gums remain healthy. When left unchecked, plaque can harden into tartar, which only a dental hygienist can remove.

Teeth Cleaning

After your hygienist collects the necessary assessments, she’ll alert the dentist who will look for anything abnormal that would require treatment or referral to a specialist.

Brushing is the most important method of preventing dental disease by removing plaque, a sticky biofilm that clings stubbornly to teeth and causes gum disease, tooth decay and bad breath. Using the correct technique and brushing twice per day, as recommended by the dentist is essential for maintaining your oral health.

The hygienist will remove any excess plaque that has hardened to the surface of the teeth, usually at the gum line. This process is called scaling, and sometimes the hygienist may use an ultrasonic scaler to remove stubborn plaque buildup. This step is very important for reducing your risk of periodontitis (gum disease).

Once the plaque and tartar are removed, the teeth are polished with a gritty toothpaste to remove any stains and make the teeth look smooth and healthy. This is a quick and painless procedure that will leave your mouth feeling clean and fresh.

When you brush, make sure to brush for two minutes each time, to ensure that all areas of your mouth are reached. The teeth should be brushed gently and in circular motions to avoid damaging the gum tissue. Also, remember to brush or scrape the tongue and roof of the mouth, as they can collect bacteria that cause bad breath.

It is recommended to use a soft-bristled toothbrush, and replace it every three or four months. Make sure to buy a toothbrush that fits your hand and is easy for you to handle.

A good rule of thumb is to brush the outside surfaces of the top and bottom teeth in short, sweeping strokes, then tilt the brush up and scrub the inside of the upper and lower teeth, including the chewing surfaces and the grooves on the back teeth. After brushing the teeth, rinse with water or mouthwash to finish the cleaning session.

While the most important way to prevent dental disease is to practice proper oral hygiene at home, a regular regimen of brushing, flossing and rinsing with mouthwash, coupled with bi-annual cleanings from our hygienists will make your smile look healthier and keep you free of infection.

Flossing

Flossing is probably one of the most important steps in a good dental hygiene routine. It removes plaque, food debris and bacteria from between the teeth where a toothbrush can’t reach. This helps prevent tooth decay, gum disease and bad breath. It also makes teeth more resilient to plaque and tartar buildup, which can lead to a variety of other health problems.

Aside from brushing, flossing is the single most effective way to remove plaque between the teeth. It is especially effective if done on a regular basis before you hit the sack at night, so that plaque doesn’t sit between your teeth all night long and start to irritate the gums. However, it is a good idea to floss before and after brushing at other times of the day as well.

It doesn’t matter if you use flavored, waxed or unwaxed floss, or whether you choose a wide or narrow piece of floss as long as you follow the proper technique. For example, break off a piece of floss about 18 inches long and wind most of it around the middle finger on one hand. Then, take a clean section of floss and firmly maneuver it between two teeth (with a curved motion) and up to the gum line, using a back-and-forth motion to scrape off the food debris. Continue this process for all of the teeth in both your upper and lower arches, always using a clean section of floss for each tooth. Don’t forget to floss the back side of the last tooth in each arch and to rinse your mouth thoroughly with water after you finish.

The more you practice a proper cleaning routine, the healthier and happier your teeth will be. So don’t wait until you have a problem to start taking care of your teeth! Be proactive and brush and floss regularly, and visit your dentist and hygienist for professional cleanings on a regular basis. Keeping up with these steps will help you keep your beautiful smile for life!

Dental Air/Water Syringe

The air/water syringe is used by dental professionals to spray water or air in the mouth during many procedures and treatments. It is a useful tool for providing irrigation, controlling moisture and cleaning dental impressions, drying the surface of prepared tooth cavities, testing for residual decay with air bursts, rinsing and washing, and spraying sealants, etchants, and fluorides on teeth. In addition, it is also an excellent tool for cleaning orthodontic appliances like braces and retainers.

The one issue with metal air/water syringe tips is that they cannot be heat sterilized, and this presents a serious risk of cross-contamination between patients. While most dentists, orthodontists and hygienists use these metal tips because they are inexpensive, it is important to consider the infection control ramifications of not properly sterilizing these devices.

Unlike disposable plastic syringe tips, metal air/water syringe tip can harbor a variety of pathogens in the micro-lumens of their interior. These accumulated cooked debris particles can easily be dislodged and transmitted to a patient during a treatment, which violates universal precautions. It is also possible that these contaminated tips can cause allergic reactions in some patients.

Despite the health risks, some dentists, orthodontists, and hygienists claim that they do not want to switch to disposable syringe tips because they feel it creates a lot of waste in their office, especially since they must use a new tip for every patient. However, it would seem that if these dental offices understood the potential for infectious diseases in their patients as a result of using dirty metal air/water syringes, they might be willing to spend a little extra money on single-use tips.

Scaling and Root Planing

Tooth scaling and root planing is a more advanced form of professional cleaning. This more in-depth procedure addresses periodontal disease, removing the bacteria and plaque deposits that cause the inflammation of gum tissue (gingivitis). In severe cases, it can also reverse damage from the early stages of gum disease. This procedure reduces or eliminates gum pockets, relieves pain and discomfort, and improves the appearance of teeth and the health of the gums.

During the procedure, your dental hygienist will remove the bacteria and plaque from the surface of each tooth and under the gum line. Depending on your case, they may use manual hand instruments or an ultrasonic scaling device to get rid of the deposits. Then, they will “plan” the root of each tooth, smoothing out rough areas on the tooth’s surface to promote healing and prevent bacteria from colonizing in the future.

The procedure is usually done over 1 – 4 visits, with one quadrant of the mouth treated at each appointment. This allows our team to focus on a specific area of the mouth at a time and to make sure that we get all of the deposits out.

While scaling and root planing is a nonsurgical procedure, you will experience some pain and sensitivity after the treatment. This is typically due to the fact that we are removing bacteria from your gums and teeth, which can cause infection in other parts of the body. The pain and sensitivity should only last for a few days. If you need pain relief, we recommend over-the-counter oral analgesics.

After undergoing teeth scaling and root planing, it’s important to keep up with your regular oral care routine. Brushing at least twice a day, flossing once daily, and visiting the dentist every six months will help to prevent gum disease from returning. If you are still experiencing symptoms of gum disease, such as red, puffy, and bleeding gums or bad breath, talk to your dentist about undergoing further treatment. With proper maintenance, your gums should return to their healthy pink color in no time!