Examination and cleaning
Dental cleaning: the key to a healthy mouth!
Dental cleaning is probably the first treatment your dentist will offer you. Since oral health is at the heart of overall health, it’s a good idea to have your teeth cleaned at regular intervals, even if you maintain a healthy lifestyle and good oral hygiene on a daily basis.
What is dental cleaning?
Good dental health helps improve your quality of life. It has a positive influence on your physical, mental and social well-being, enabling you to enjoy life’s pleasures. It allows you to express yourself fully, eat and socialize without pain, discomfort or embarrassment.
To preserve the health of your teeth and mouth, it’s essential to have them checked regularly by a dentist to prevent and avoid future complications and maintain optimal oral health.
Dental cleaning, performed by a dental hygienist, involves removing the plaque, stains and tartar that build up on your teeth over time, despite daily care at home. Even with effective twice-daily brushing and daily flossing, the bacteria in your mouth can accumulate in certain places, especially between your teeth and near your gums. A dental hygienist has the specialized tools and training to do the job safely and effectively.
Every day, thousands of bacteria in your saliva settle on your teeth to form what’s known as plaque. If plaque isn’t removed by proper brushing and flossing, this layer of bacteria can calcify and become tartar.
Plaque and tartar on your teeth can lead to gingivitis, a common gum disease that can be reversed with proper care. Chronic or untreated gingivitis can develop into periodontitis, one of the leading causes of tooth loss in adults.
It’s also during the dental cleaning that the hygienist and dentist work together to assess your oral health, to enable early detection of periodontal disease and also screen for more serious diseases such as oral cancer. By examining your teeth, gums, tongue, mouth soft tissues, palate, throat and inner cheeks, they will try to detect the presence of any abnormalities.
A dental cleaning helps to identify various oral problems, so that a suitable treatment plan can be drawn up to prevent the onset and development of more serious diseases. It can, for example, uncover a very small cavity and prevent it from progressing to a more serious and costly procedure such as root canal treatment.
How is a dental cleaning performed?
Dental cleaning is usually performed by a dental hygienist, and includes scaling and polishing.
Scaling removes calcified tartar deposits from teeth and roots. This step is performed using ultrasonic instruments and curettes. As tartar is a highly resistant layer of mineralized plaque, it cannot be removed without these specialized tools.
After scaling, the dental hygienist polishes the teeth using an abrasive paste or a jet of air, water and baking soda powder to remove stains and plaque that have resisted scaling. The aim of this important dental cleaning step is to make the surface of the teeth as smooth as possible, to slow down and prevent the build-up of plaque and tartar.
However, while the appearance of stains caused by red wine or coffee is improved by dental cleaning, tooth whitening could help you achieve a brighter whiteness. It’s no substitute for a dental check-up or cleaning, but the results on your smile are impressive.
At what age can my child have his or her first dental cleaning?
According to the Canadian Dental Association, parents should make their child’s first dental appointment 6 months after the first tooth is erupted, or at one year of age.
This very first visit will not only familiarize the child with the dentist at a very early stage, but will also enable early detection of any small problems. Thereafter, a dental cleaning every 6 months is recommended to prevent the onset of any dental problems.
Regular visits to the dentist with your child will enable you to :
- Know whether his or her daily dental hygiene (flossing and brushing) is being done properly.
- Identify and treat dental problems quickly, should they arise.
- Teach your child the importance of dental cleaning and familiarize him or her with the dentist.
How often should I have my teeth cleaned?
The frequency of dental cleanings can depend on a number of factors, such as your health, age, medication and so on. Your ability and diligence in performing personal oral hygiene care is also a consideration. Only your dentist can determine your optimal appointment frequency.
However, the Canadian Dental Association has drawn up a list of questions that you can answer in collaboration with your dentist to determine the frequency of your dental cleanings:
- Do you floss every day?
- Do you brush your teeth at least twice a day with fluoride toothpaste, following your dentist’s and hygienist’s recommendations?
- Do you eat a well-balanced diet and restrict your intake of sweets and sticky foods?
- Do you drink enough water?
- Do you smoke?
- Have you ever had cavities or gum disease?
- Are you in good general health?
Make sure you and your dentist agree on the number of visits that’s right for you, and stick to it. Dental cleanings are essential for a healthy smile and mouth.
Are dental cleanings covered by insurance?
Publicly-funded dentists and denturists provide a variety of services that are covered by health insurance. In fact, children under the age of 10, as well as those receiving last-resort financial assistance, have the opportunity to receive several services completely free of charge. To receive these services, patients simply need to present their valid health insurance card or valid claim booklet.
What’s more, our clinic has been dealing directly with various insurance companies for several years now.
Need a dental cleaning?
Make an appointment with one of our dentists to learn more about dental cleaning.
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