Almost everyone knows how important it is to visit a dentist in West Edmonton for routine dental cleanings to help prevent tooth decay and gum disease. However, many people are unaware that there are two types of dental cleanings: the routine dental cleaning that you should have every six months and a deeper dental cleaning performed on individuals suffering from moderate to advanced gum disease. If you haven’t heard about a deep dental cleaning before, you may have heard it called by its other name- root planing and scaling. While this name is slightly more descriptive, it still doesn’t quite describe what is involved in a deep dental cleaning.
Here is how to tell the difference between the two types of dental cleanings; know which one you need:
Routine Dental Cleanings
When you visit All Smiles Dentistry for a dental cleaning near you, you are likely undergoing a routine dental cleaning. Our hygienist will use special tools to get rid of your tartar, plaque, and bacteria on your teeth and along your gum line during a routine dental cleaning. These dental cleanings are very important to the prevention and treatment of mild forms of gum disease.
Routine dental cleanings are the ideal time to talk to our dental hygienist about areas of your mouth that need more attention when you are brushing and flossing at home. Additionally, our hygienist can take this time to remind you of the proper brushing and flossing techniques. Routine dental cleanings are typically combined with a checkup by our dentist, where they will examine the health of your gums and check for abnormalities such as oral cancer.
Deep Dental Cleanings
As it implies, deep dental cleanings in West Edmonton involve our dentist deep cleaning your teeth, using techniques to remove tartar, bacteria, and plaque below the gum line and down to your tooth roots.
When left untreated, bacteria on your teeth and along your gum line can cause your gums to begin to pull away from your tooth roots, making small pockets that allow the bacteria to travel down to those roots. This can eventually lead to tooth loss.
Deep dental cleaning eliminates the bacteria along the roots and below the gum line to prevent tooth loss. Additionally, our dentist will plane the surfaces of your tooth roots to ensure that bacteria have a harder time sticking to them in the future. On occasion, an antibiotic gel will be applied to your teeth during the cleaning process to kill any lingering bacteria.
Since deep dental cleanings involve our dentist going below your gum line, they will use a local anesthetic to numb the area and ensure that you do not feel any pain.
Prevent Gum Disease
Gum disease is the leading cause of tooth loss, and the best way to prevent gum disease is to visit our team at All Smiles Dentistry for professional routine dental cleanings at least once every six months on top of maintaining an excellent oral hygiene routine at home. If your gum disease has progressed, a deep dental cleaning may be necessary.
Both routine and deep dental cleanings play significant roles in preventing tooth loss and infection caused by periodontal disease. If you have not visited our dentist in the last six months, please get in touch with our team of dedicated dental professionals to book an appointment for a dental cleaning today!