Teeth Cleaning

Teeth that are properly cleaned are much less likely to decay. Proper cleaning also helps prevent gum disease and bad breath. Teeth cleaning includes your daily oral hygiene practices, regular preventive cleaning and deep cleaning. At Marsden Park Dental Centre, we offer advice on proper oral hygiene, and provide preventive cleaning and deep cleaning to residents of Logan and the surrounding area.

Teeth Cleaning Basics

The two most important components of oral hygiene are your daily habits and regular preventive dental care by your dentist or dental hygienist. Daily care should include flossing once a day and brushing twice a day. A professional cleaning is usually recommended twice a year. This procedure includes removing plaque and tartar with a tool (called scaling) or using an ultrasonic machine to remove plaque and tartar. Your teeth will also be flossed and polished.

Teeth Cleaning and the Comprehensive Periodontal Examination

A comprehensive periodontal examination (CPE) is usually recommended at least once a year. This examination is part of your regular preventive care and is painless. In addition to a visual inspection and X-rays, your dentist will probe your “periodontal pockets” with a special tool. These pockets are the space between your teeth and gums. Pockets deeper than 3 millimeters can indicate gum disease and your dentist will usually recommend deep cleaning.

Deep Cleaning

Deep cleanings are similar to biannual teeth cleaning but also include more extensive scaling, with special attention to the periodontal pockets. Root planing is an additional procedure that not only removes plaque and tartar, but also smooths rough spots on the roots that can collect bacteria. The gums will also reattach more easily to the smooth surface, protecting them from decay. Root planing takes one or two hours and a local anesthetic is used to reduce any pain. Root planing may also include the use of a laser, which requires special training. In some cases, a single deep cleaning is all that is required; in others deep cleaning may be necessary annually or even more frequently.

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