Tag: dental cleanings bakersfield

Dental professionals agree that you should schedule a dental assessment at least once a year. This is an important examination that aids in the early diagnosis of potential oral problems, such as chips and cracks, cavities, gum disease, and even oral cancer. Besides evaluating your dental health, dentists also perform professional teeth cleaning to remove plaque and calculus or tartar, which are responsible for most common oral problems. 

A dental cleaning is typically performed by a dental hygienist. But before the cleaning commences, they will first physically check your teeth, gums, tongue, and the entire mouth for any concerns using a small mirror. If there are any noticeable problems, the dental hygienist will consult the dentist to determine whether it’s safe to proceed with the cleaning. 

A typical professional teeth cleaning procedure involves the following five steps:

Step 1: Plaque and Tartar Removal 

Your dental professional uses a scaler to remove plaque and calculus from the surface of each tooth, targeting the area above the gums, between the teeth, and around the gum line. The duration of this step depends on how long it has been since your last cleaning. 

Step 2: Polishing  

When all the plaque and tartar has been removed from your teeth, the hygienist will use a special brush with a soft rubber cup. This not only removes any surface stains, but also makes your tooth surface smooth and shiny to make it harder for plaque to form. 

Step 3: Expert Flossing 

Professional flossing helps to thoroughly clean the area between your teeth to remove any leftover plaque and toothpaste from the previous steps. 

Step 4: Rinsing 

The dental hygienist uses a mouth rinse containing liquid fluoride to remove any debris and clean your mouth. 

Step 5: Fluoride Treatment 

As the final step, your dental hygienist may apply flavored fluoride by putting it in flexible trays that are then placed over your teeth for 30 seconds. This helps to strengthen your teeth and enhance the protection against plaque and calculus. 

Keep in mind that this is the standard dental cleaning process. If you have gum disease, your dental hygienist may recommend deep scaling to remove plaque from your tooth roots as well.

To learn more about what to expect from a routine dental exam & cleaning in Bakersfield CA, please contact your dental office today.

There are both beneficial and harmful bacteria in your mouth. The beneficial bacteria aids in digestion, while the harmful kind is associated with gum disease, dental caries, bad breath, and many other oral issues. Through daily brushing and flossing at home, you can maintain a low level of harmful bacteria in your mouth to such a level that it doesn’t adversely affect your oral health in the short-term. Unfortunately, there are areas in your mouth that are hard to clean with a toothbrush, where bacteria may build up in your mouth and cause harm. 

Professional cleaning helps to prevent this by targeting every corner of your mouth to remove built-up plaque and calculus. This offers many benefits, including:

• Reduced tooth wear and cavities from acids in the mouth – plaque, the biofilm formed by bacteria colonies living in your mouth, is responsible for producing acid that can erode your teeth, cause cavities, and damage your gums. 
• Maintaining your bright smile – when plaque is not removed properly, it may calcify and mineralize into a hard substance (tartar) that not only changes the aesthetic appearance of your teeth, but also attracts more harmful bacteria. Tartar or calculus can only be removed during dental cleanings using specialized tools. 
• Reduced risk of gingivitis – bacteria in your mouth can accumulate to a point where it becomes active and destructive, resulting in gum infection. The first stage of gum infection is known as gingivitis, and is characterized by gum inflammation, swelling, and reddening. Due to sensitive gums, you may also notice some blood on your toothbrush or when rinsing your mouth after brushing. Fortunately, gingivitis can be successfully treated with professional dental cleaning and an improved at-home oral care routine. 
• Prevention of periodontitis – If there are no interventions, gingivitis can advance to a more serious, chronic, and irreversible case of gum disease known as periodontitis or periodontal disease. It affects the foundation of your teeth – the bone tissue connecting your teeth to the jaw. If not treated promptly, periodontitis can cause severe bone loss that loosens your teeth with some even falling out. Though it’s irreversible, dental professionals can help you manage the symptoms and improve your oral health. 

Schedule Dental Cleaning Today Professional dental cleaning can help you enjoy a healthy mouth and smile. Please visit your dentist for a thorough examination of your mouth and to determine the best type of dental cleaning in Bakersfield CA to improve your oral health.

There are several types of dental cleanings that may help to remove accumulated plaque and tartar in your mouth, and improve your overall oral health. The American Dental Association recommends that prophylaxis cleanings be performed every six months by your general dentist as a part of your preventative dental care. Prophylaxis is also referred to as “teeth cleaning”, and involves the removal of accumulated plaque from the surface of your teeth above the gumline, as well as tooth polishing. 

Prophylaxis is performed using fine hand instruments, as well as an ultrasonic scaler and a polishing cup and paste if there are no signs of gum disease. Generally, a good candidate for prophylaxis should have firm, pink gums with no bleeding, and the gum pockets should be within the healthy range of 1 – 3mm. Though the ADA recommends prophy cleaning every six months, people at high risk of gum disease and other oral issues may require more frequent cleaning at 8 – 16 week intervals. 

Will Prophylaxis Cleaning Work for Me?

There are some cases where regular prophylaxis cleaning may not be enough to improve your oral health. Your dental professional will examine your teeth and gums and then determine the best type of alternative cleaning for your individual needs. The other types of dental cleaning include:

• Full Mouth Debridement – it is recommended for people whose teeth have not been professionally cleaned for more than a year, resulting in heavy plaque and tartar (calculus) build-up. This procedure is typically performed before an oral examination and diagnosis to ensure good visibility of the actual condition of your mouth
• Scaling and root planing – commonly referred to as “deep cleaning”, this procedure is recommended for patients who exhibit signs of periodontal disease, such as deeper gum pockets (over 3mm), inflammation and bleeding gums, accumulation of plaque and tartar below the gumline, and/or loss of bone tissue supporting the teeth.
• Periodontal maintenance – following treatment for periodontal disease, your dental professional may recommend this specialized cleaning every 8 – 12 weeks as part of your ongoing treatment for chronic periodontal disease to reduce the risk of adverse symptoms. 

Please visit your dentist in Bakersfield CA to discuss your cleaning needs today.