Regular dental visits are vital to your life because they help maintain healthy gums and teeth. Although brushing and flossing your teeth at home can help clean the plaque from your teeth, that alone can’t protect your teeth. During the cleaning, your dental professional will use special tools to remove tartar. This is called scaling. There are two parts to every dental appointment:

• The Check-Up

• The Cleaning

Dentists recommend scheduling a check- up appointment every six months.

What to Expect:

The Check-Up

The dentist professionals at Greenspoint Dental will check for cavities and check to see if there is plaque or tartar on your teeth. Plaque is a clear, sticky layer of bacteria. If it is not removed, it can harden and become tartar. You cannot remove tartar with brushing and flossing. If plaque and tartar build up on your teeth, they can cause oral diseases.

Following the plaque review, your gums will be checked. This will be done with a special tool to measure the spaces between your teeth and gums. With healthy gums, the spaces are shallow. When people have gum disease, the spaces can potentially become deeper.

The check-up should not only include your gums, but it should also include your tongue, throat, face, head, and neck. This is to look for any signs of trouble, swelling, or cancer.

The Cleaning

The dental hygienists at Greenspoint Dental will conduct the teeth cleaning which can range anywhere between 30 minutes to an hour, depending on the condition of your teeth. The dental professionals will use tiny metal instruments to remove plaque that has been deposited on the surface of your teeth and in difficult to reach areas between your teeth. This is known as scaling.

During the plaque removal part of your dental session, the dental hygienist will use a jet stream of water to rinse of plaque particles and a ‘water sucker’ to suck up all the excess water (swimming with plaque particles). After the procedure is over, the hygienist will apply an anti-cavity, fluoride treatment to a tooth polisher to protect your teeth from dental cavities (sometimes known as caries) and buff the tooth appearance.

After the entire cleaning process is complete, a dentist will perform the final inspection and evaluate your teeth and gums. If your teeth are cavity prone, the dentists may apply a thin sealant to your tooth surface which fills the crevices of healthy teeth, protecting them from future tooth infections.

Cavities

Sometimes during your dental check-up, a cavity may be discovered, requiring special attention. A typical sign of a cavity would be a tooth pain or ache.

Dental caries are caused by acids in plaque that erode and decay the tooth enamel. On some occasions, cavities may develop as gray spots in the teeth while at other times, they are not even visible by the naked eye. Consuming a lot of sugary foods and starchy foods may increase your risk of developing dental caries.

If it’s discovered that you have a cavity, Dr. Bosse will remove the tooth decay and replace it with a filling material to match the natural appearance of your tooth color. This way, it blends in with the rest of your teeth.

Early detection of a tooth infection is the best method to prevent cavities from turning into crowns, root canals, or an extraction. Patients are provided options such as nitrous oxide and Novocain to make their treatment procedure as pain free as possible.

Prevention

Be sure to take care of your teeth and gums between regular dental visits. Plaque is constantly forming on your teeth, but you can get rid of it by brushing and flossing regularly. Here are some tips for good oral care at home.

• Brush your teeth at least twice a day. Be sure to use a toothpaste that contains fluoride.

• Floss at least once a day.

• Use a mouth rinse to help get rid of plaque bacteria. This will also help to freshen breath.

• Eat a balanced diet and limit sodas and snacks.

• Replace your toothbrush every three to four months when the bristles fray.

• Contact Greenspoint Dental today to schedule a check-up!