If its been a while since you’ve been to see your dentist you might want to give them a call for a comprehensive dental check-up. At regular check-ups, your dentist and hygienist will include the following:
Comprehensive Examination including x-rays (if required). X- Rays can help with early detection of decay, tumours, cysts and bone loss. X-rays also help determine tooth and root positions.
Oral cancer screening: check the face, neck, lips, tongue, throat, tissues and gums for any signs of oral cancer.
Gum disease evaluation: Check the gums and bone around the teeth for any signs or periodontal disease.
Examination of tooth decay: All tooth surfaces will be checked for decay with special dental instruments.
Examination of existing restorations: Check current fillings, crowns, etc.
Removal of calculus or tartar (which is hardened plaque). Calculus forms above and below the gum line and can only be removed with special dental instruments.
Removal of plaque, the sticky, almost invisible film that forms on the teeth, Plaque is a developing colony of bacteria which produces toxins which can, if untreated lead to periodontal disease.
The simple daily routine of brushing your teeth is important and so is a dentist clean every six months to get rid of plaque that your brushing has missed and to remove tartar (calculus).
The importance of effective oral hygiene and the benefits this brings to general wellbeing should not be underestimated.
Even the most vigilant home brusher and flosser can sometimes experience a bacterial build up as the result of ill health, a holiday eating binge or hard to reach places. Furthermore, over time calcium deposits (known as tartar or calculus) build up on your teeth. This can provide bacteria the perfect environment to thrive in when close to gums. The purpose of the dental clean is to leave your tooth surface clean and smooth making it hard for bacteria to stick to the tooth surface.
A great routine at home will keep teeth healthy, and a regular dentist teeth cleaning session will keep your teeth smooth and free of longer term bacteria and tartar build-up. Taking yourself to the dentist for a regular clean is all part of maintaining optimal oral health.
Plaque and tartar build up over time, often in the furthest reaches and smallest crevices of your teeth and gums. A professional dental cleaning, sometimes referred to as a ‘scale and polish’ will remove these substances from your teeth, making it easier for you to clean them and avoid bacterial build up during your regular oral hygiene routine at home.
Although a good oral hygiene routine at home will ensure your teeth stay generally clean, dentists can use specialised equipment and treatments to scale and polish your teeth to a professional level.
The equipment used in professional dental cleaning helps to loosen large pieces of tartar from your teeth and this ranges from the use of ultrasonic devices to hand tools called scalers and curettes.
Polishing is achieved using a gritty paste combined with a special handpiece that has a rubber cup on the end of it and your dentist may round out your professional clean with an application of fluoride. This is typically placed into a special tray and placed over the teeth so that the full surface of the teeth is covered front and back.
If it’s been a while since you checked in, contact our friendly team at Bulleen Plaza Dental to arrange a Check and Clean Appointment.
