Do you want to keep your smile shining and your teeth free from decay? There’s only one way to do it, and that’s with routine professional teeth cleanings.
Even if you brush and floss twice daily, it’s hard to remove all the plaque and impossible to eliminate tartar. Once they take up residence in your mouth, you’re on the fast track to discoloration, decay, and gum disease.
Professional teeth cleanings at 2K Dental with four locations in Cleveland, Parma, Akron, and Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, preserve and protect your teeth — and give you a beautiful smile — by removing all remnants of plaque and tartar, polishing your teeth, and finding early signs of decay or dental problems.
Here’s what to expect during your professional teeth cleaning.
Every time you come to the office for a dental checkup (which should be every six months), we perform a professional teeth cleaning. The three parts of your routine cleaning explain why they’re so important for your dental health:
We don’t quickly clean your teeth and send you on your way with a bright smile. Before cleaning your teeth, your dental hygienist carefully examines your teeth, gums, and mouth. They search for signs of problems, such as gum inflammation, sores, and tooth decay, and may also take X-rays to get a detailed view of your teeth.
When you eat carbohydrates (sugars), they combine with your saliva and the bacteria naturally living in your mouth, forming plaque, a colorless film that sticks to your teeth. Since it’s sticky, plaque holds bacteria against your teeth, giving them time to erode the enamel and cause decay.
If you don’t eliminate every bit of the plaque by brushing, it turns into a substance called tartar. Tartar is so hard that it’s impossible to remove with daily brushing. As a result, it accumulates at the gum line.
Tartar also contains bacteria that can invade your gums and cause inflammation. That’s when you develop the first stage of gum disease (gingivitis).
Without professional teeth cleaning to get rid of the tartar, the ongoing inflammation leads to an infection and advanced gum disease (periodontitis). Inflammation also erodes the underlying bone, putting you at risk of tooth loss.
During your professional teeth cleaning, we use a dental scaler to remove all the plaque and tartar on your teeth. In addition to improving the appearance of your teeth, cleaning away plaque and tartar prevents decay, infections, and possible tooth loss.
After your thorough cleaning, your dental hygienist flosses and brushes your teeth. But a professional brushing does so much more than your daily brushing at home. They use a special gritty toothpaste and high-powered brush to gently scrub and polish your teeth.
By the time your teeth cleaning is finished, your teeth will be smooth, shiny, and looking great.
During your routine teeth cleaning, we may discover tartar embedded deep under the gum. Or we may see that you already have gingivitis or more advanced gum disease. These problems require a more intensive, deep cleaning.
Deep cleaning your teeth includes scaling and root planing. The scaling process is similar to your routine teeth cleaning, but we go deeper below the gum line.
Root planing removes tartar on the tooth root. After the tartar is gone, we carefully smooth the root surface, making it easier for the gum to reattach. We may apply antibacterial medication, depending on the severity of your gum disease.
Though deep cleaning is intensive, you never need to worry about discomfort because we give you an anesthetic. It’s natural for your gums to feel tender for a short time after a deep cleaning. We explain how to care for your teeth and gums and recommend ways to relieve any pain or sensitivity.
If you don’t schedule regular six-month dental checkups, you’re past due for a teeth cleaning. Protect the health of your teeth (and keep your smile looking great). Call 2K Dental today to schedule a professional teeth cleaning.
