Dental Cleanings for Prolonged Oral Health

A regular dental cleaning is one of the most important steps in achieving and maintaining oral health. When done on schedule, teeth cleanings are painless procedures that leave your teeth shiny, smooth and squeaky-clean. They say that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and this is especially true when it comes to taking care of your teeth.

If an apple a day keeps the doctor away, then you will be surprised at what two cleanings per year can do for your dental health!

Importance of Routine Dental Cleanings

While routine dental cleanings are required for keeping your smile bright and shiny, they’re also important for your overall physical health. Even if you brush and floss regularly at home, it’s still necessary for twice annual dental checkups as well as professional cleanings from a dental hygienist.

For example, getting your teeth cleaned regularly can help prevent gum disease and early tooth loss. Also, lack of proper attention to your oral care can lead to health challenges, including bone loss, cardiovascular disease, stroke, and even cancer.

Seeing your dentist regularly for appointments and cleanings is also helpful in tracking the state of your oral health. If there has been a decline over time, your dentist and hygienist can help draw attention to any issues and recommend ways to improve. And it’s not all negative. Your dentist and hygienist will also notice improvements if you strictly adhere to their recommendations.

What You Should Expect from a Routine Cleaning Visit

When most people think of what happens at the dentist during a routine cleaning visit, images come to mind of a lot of tools in the mouth while a hygienist cheerfully asks you to tell stories about your last vacation. That’s the best-case scenario. Other people fear the dentist and picture all kinds of drills and painful procedures, even for a routine cleaning. There’s no reason to fear the dentist. We’re here to help!

The reality is that routine visits are rarely painful.  Most appointments take approximately 30 minutes to one hour. On annual check-ups, Dr. Drew may meet with you after the cleaning to take x-rays to check for cavities and remove any extra stubborn plaque that may be lurking on your teeth. During the plaque removal, the doctor will also evaluate your gums for signs of gum disease.

While the hygienist cleans your teeth, you’ll see a number of tools during the process. The most common tools that will be used on your teeth are tooth polishers to buff the teeth and remove plaque and a scaler that gets between the teeth to remove the plaque that the polisher can’t get to. You’ll also experience water shooting through an industrial grade type of water pick that rinses your mouth out during the cleaning process. Sometimes the hygienist will also give you mouthwash to rinse out your mouth.

If you are looking for comfort and convenience, you should look for a dentist in Idaho Falls who can provide amazing dentistry for your whole family like Oxford Dental Care does!

Request a Cleaning

Making an appointment at our office to take care of your dental hygiene is an important step in your oral health plan. Contact our Idaho Falls office at (208)529-0420, or click the button below to schedule a dental cleaning today.