Professional teeth cleanings are scheduled twice a year, while X-rays are normally done once a year. Still, depending on what your dentist or dental hygienist observes in your mouth, they might do other exams during your visit. For children, a dentist may recommend molar sealants to help prevent cavities in hard-to-brush areas.
Whether you need any additional steps or not, the key is to keep going back to the dentist for regular teeth cleanings to prevent problems altogether. Remember, its always better to prevent than cure. By understanding what’s going on in advance, you’ll feel more at ease — and maybe even look forward to these appointments.
How often should you go through a professional dental cleaning?
Dentists, we in our infinite wisdom, have decided, as a group of health care professionals concerned for the health of our patients, that it is in your best interest to come see us every 6 months. Every person, whether you are 5 or 50; whether you have good teeth or not; whether your gums are healthy or not; whether you build up a lot of plaque and tartar or not, whether you are the world’s best brusher and flosser or not. That’s right, everyone needs to see the dentist every 6 months. And we certainly are not about to the reward the patients that brush and floss regularly because the rules are the rules! Dental care is as important as health care!
The Need for Deep Cleaning
Deep cleaning your teeth might sound like something you should do after you’ve missed a few visits to the dentist or eaten a particularly sticky, messy meal. A deep cleaning is actually a specific procedure performed by your dental hygienist to treat gum and periodontal disease. It’s often completed because a person has not had regular professional cleaning appointments every six months.
When going to the dentist, the dental hygienist will use an instrument called a probe to measure the area around your teeth to see if you have any pocketing (the area between the tooth and gum where bacteria will form). The depth of the gum tissue between the teeth and gums are called pockets when it is five millimeters or more. The American Academy of Periodontology recommends that every adult receive a periodontal evaluation each year to determine whether additional treatment is needed. Measuring pocket depth is just one part of a comprehensive dental evaluation.
Ideally, normal healthy pockets will be no more than 3 millimeters deep, according to the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR). If the pockets are greater than 5 millimeters, your dentist might prescribe a deep scaling and root planing appointment with the dental hygienist.
Deep Cleaning Process
Deep cleaning is also known in the dental world as scaling and root planing. Scaling involves removing plaque and tartar from the surface of the teeth and from the pocket area between the teeth and gums, according to the NIDCR. The dental hygienist can perform scaling and root planing using either electriceor ultrasonic instruments or manual scaling tools.
The other part of deep cleaning is root planing. The dental hygienist will use a scaling instrument to remove plaque and tartar from the surface of the roots of your teeth. A scaling and root planing procedure will require a minimum of two visits as an appointment. A follow-up visit may be necessary to confirm that your gums and teeth are getting healthier and there is no pocket depth.
