Dental Cleaning
Mooresville, NC
 A dental cleaning is an important step in your preventive care. We use this time to evaluate your gum health and the status of your enamel. Additionally, we remove harmful bacteria and provide important dental education.
At Parkway Dentistry at Langtree, we recommend scheduling regular professional dental cleanings followed by a dental checkup.
Your teeth are under constant threat of harmful bacteria that can be found in plaque. Plaque is a naturally made material in your mouth. It’s created from food particles and saliva. It also works as a thin biofilm that can settle in crevices and along the rim of your teeth.
If plaque is not brushed away daily and is allowed to build up, it will eventually dry hard; we call this dried substance tartar or calculus. Tartar is much more difficult to remove, and we don’t advise patients removing it themselves, they often damage their enamel in the attempt. During your dental cleaning in our office, our hygienist will remove all plaque and tartar from the surfaces of your teeth, along the rims and in the nooks and crannies.
What You Can Expect at Your Professional Cleaning
Having your teeth cleaned by our professional hygienist is an important part of your oral health. Your dental cleaning will generally include the following:
| • |
Evaluation of your Gums: We will want to check for the signs and symptoms of gum disease. Gingivitis, periodontitis and chronic periodontitis can be problematic and even dangerous for your gums and how they support your teeth. Determining if gum disease is present and the degree of severity will help determine the next steps and future treatments.
|
| • |
Tracking and Measuring your Gum Pockets: One of the gum disease symptoms we record is the depth of your gum pockets. We do this by measuring the pocket depth of each tooth. Ideally, the patient will have gum pockets of 3 mm or less, greater than 3 mm is an indication of infection.
|
| • |
Remove Plaque: The next step is removing any plaque or tartar buildup. For most of our adult patients this is done using an ultrasonic scaler. It can remove hardened tartar without damaging your enamel. Scaling and root planing is a treatment performed on patients who have some degree of gum disease present.
|
| • |
Polishing: The final step is the polishing of the teeth. We do this to remove surface stains. This step removes a lot of extrinsic stains, but more extensive staining may benefit from teeth whitening. Stains that are intrinsic can be resurfaced through dental bonding, or we can discuss dental veneers. |
Following your dental cleaning, the next step is often your dental exam. This often begins with digital x-rays to look for hidden disease and includes an oral cancer assessment by our dentist. We often include the two steps together for your convenience.
Schedule Your Appointment Today!
Preventive treatments, including your dental cleaning can help you have and maintain a healthy mouth. If you are in need of a professional cleaning or exam call (704) 672-0477 and schedule your appointment today!
|
