Excellent oral hygiene requires two people; you to take care of the daily flossing and brushing and your Old Town Chicago dentist to perform professional cleanings and checkups every six months.
Exactly what is a professional dental cleaning and why is it important that this is done? The why is straightforward, the dentist or the dental hygienist removes plaque and tartar that you can’t remove at home. Plaque, the sticky film that covers your teeth, it is the primary cause of tooth decay. Tartar on the other hand is plaque that has calcified and builds up over time. Regardless of how hard you try at home to remove tartar you will be defeated in your efforts.
The “what” depends to a great deal on the state of health of your mouth, teeth and gums. Your Old Town Chicago dentist employs a number of techniques to ensure that your oral cavity remains healthy.
* Scaling: This is the term that your dentist uses when he or she removes plaque and tartar from your teeth manually. Scaling uses either hand held instruments which have been designed expressly for removing this material or ultrasonic equipment that removes the material with sound waves. Scaling removes plaque and tartar from both the visible surfaces of your teeth as well as below the gum line.
* Root planing: This process is somewhat like scaling but is employed when the patient has evidence of periodontal disease. Root planing focuses on removing layers of plaque that have built up below the gum line, on the surfaces of the tooth root. The process utilizes the same or very similar instruments that are used for scaling.
* Polishing: It is the polishing process that gives your teeth that “squeaky clean” feeling after scaling or root planing has taken place. The dentist uses a small rubber cup fitted to the hand-piece and mildly abrasive polishing compound.
Although you may practice ideal oral hygiene at home, don’t forget to see your Old Town Chicago dentist twice a year for a check-up and professional cleaning.
