Your dentist recommends you must brush your teeth twice a day for two minutes, each with fluoride paste once in the morning and once before getting into bed in the evening. Flossing once a day is also recommended as an essential requirement. You nod your head in agreement and begin following the advice stringently. Six months down the line, you receive a reminder to visit the Houston dentist for teeth cleaning.

You are perplexed by the reminder because you have maintained your oral hygiene as recommended by the dentist. You are confident you don’t have any issues in your mouth and decide to ignore the message and continue with the brushing and flossing as recommended. Another six months pass, and you receive another reminder from the dentist in Houston, TX, to visit them for exams and cleanings. You are still certain no issues exist in your mouth but decide to visit the dentist anyway to understand why they want to examine and clean your teeth. You schedule an appointment for the cleaning and prepare yourself for compliments from your dentist for maintaining excellent oral hygiene.

What Do Professional Teeth Cleanings Entail?

A certified dental hygienist’s professional teeth cleaning removes plaque, calculus, and stains accumulated on your teeth. Plaque and calculus can develop on your teeth even with routine brushing and flossing. It’s a pity you did not have information about their development. Professional teeth cleaning is a vital part of maintaining good oral hygiene and is periodically needed for the health of both your teeth and gums. Dentists recommend professional teeth cleaning every six months or a year to reduce the chances of gum disease progressing. Good oral hygiene at home complements professional teeth cleanings to prevent the buildup of plaque and tartar, the primary causes of gum disease.

Teeth cleaning in Houston, TX, aims to remove deposits of plaque and tartar on your teeth. Plaque is a sticky film containing bacteria in the millions and forms continuously on your teeth. You may be brushing and flossing your teeth as recommended by the dentist, but even the best methods used to remove plaque and tartar do not achieve success as desired. It is why dentists recommend professional teeth cleanings. The bacteria in the plaque is present in the periodontal disease you develop.

Moreover, calculus is a hardened and calcified deposit that forms on the teeth contributing to tooth decay. If you have delayed dental exams and cleanings for over a year, the chances of having hardened deposits of plaque and tartar on your teeth are high. You may be susceptible to periodontal disease if you haven’t already developed it.

What Can You Expect during Professional Teeth Cleanings?

When you visit teeth cleaning in Houston for your scheduled appointment, the dental hygienist will use special instruments to eliminate the hardened deposits on your teeth without harming them. Specialized tools help dental hygienists gently remove deposits of plaque and tartar without damaging your teeth. Dental mirrors help the hygienist to view and inspect hard to see areas.

The hygienist also looks for signs of irritation, decay, tartar, and swelling or bleeding from your teeth and gums. The hygienist uses ultrasonic tools to clean your teeth. The device has mild vibrations to loosen large pieces of tartar and spray cold water to wash away the loose debris.

After the larger pieces of tartar are removed, the hygienist will switch to hand-held instruments to remove smaller deposits on your teeth and smooth the tooth surfaces. All your teeth are scaled to ensure no tartar deposits remain on them. After the scaling, the hygienist polishes your teeth using a gritty toothpaste. Your dentist may also apply fluoride after the cleaning process is over.

Teeth cleaning is a painless procedure unlikely to cause any dental anxiety. Your dentist indeed believes you maintain excellent oral hygiene but is also aware of why you need teeth cleanings at least once a year. Suppose the professional teeth cleaning did not detect any gum disease. In that case, you are lucky to have escaped with minor consequences. Gum disease would have left you with gum recession and loose teeth requiring multiple visits to the dentist’s office for teeth cleanings and medications.

Teeth cleanings are recommended by dentists to prevent the onset of gum disease, not just for you but for everyone. Following your dentist’s advice just as stringently as you do with brushing and flossing will help you enjoy a lifetime of good oral and overall health.