A Simple Cleaning Fights Gum Disease

While brushing and flossing your teeth is essential for keeping smiles healthy, you also need to seek professional dental cleanings, which remove harmful buildup. You should have one every six months to safeguard your overall oral health! In today’s blog, your Cleveland, TX, dentist talks about how to fight gum disease with a dental cleaning.

Plaque, Tartar, and Tooth Loss

Over time, harmful oral bacteria will break down and consume particles from food and drink left between the teeth, especially particles of sugar and starch. This process elevates oral acidity, and then coats the teeth in plaque. This buildup can’t be removed with brush and flossing, and will harden with time into tartar. The buildup could weaken and erode enamel to cause cavities and infection, and could inflame gum tissues to create gingivitis and gum disease. Not to mention bad breath and teeth stains! Which is why treatment every few months is needed to completely remove these harmful layers from the outside of the teeth.

Removing Plaque

The process is a simple one. With a dental cleaning, we will gently remove all plaque and tartar with an ultrasonic scaling device and a manual pick. We then polish the teeth thoroughly for a brighter appearance and smoother finish. This is beneficial for kids two and older, and everyone else too! At home, proper brushing and flossing habits will remove food particles and limit how much plaque can actually accumulate in between cleaning visits. You also help by cutting back on sugary foods and drinks too!

Scaling and Root Planing

But what if you already have gingivitis, or the early stages of gum disease? In these situations, you may need a deep cleaning. The scaling and root planing involves removing all plaque and tartar from the roots and the teeth alike, and can help reverse gingivitis or start the process of properly managing gum disease. We will administer a local anesthetic to keep you comfortable, and this could take one visit or up to four, depending on how severe the buildup actually is. Afterward, you can safeguard your smile with regular cleaning visits every three to four months.

If you have any questions about removing harmful buildup and protecting the smile, then contact our team today to learn more. We want to help your family enjoy their best possible smiles!

Do You Need to Have Your Teeth Cleaned?

Our team wants to limit the risk of danger with a preventive treatment. If you have any questions about how we safeguard smiles, or if you would like to schedule a consultation today, please contact Cleveland Family Dentistry in Cleveland, TX, at (281) 592-1234. You can also find our practice at 205 E. Houston St. Cleveland, TX 77327.