DENTAL CLEANINGS & PREVENTATIVE CARE

Good Oral Health Starts at Home

We believe good oral hygiene at home is essential in conjunction with visiting our dental office regularly. We recommend using a soft toothbrush to brush your teeth twice a day and use fluoride toothpaste. This will keep harmful sugar and bacteria off your teeth, and the fluoride will help strengthen them. You should also floss daily to get food particles and bacteria out of hard-to-reach places. Following up with an antibacterial mouthwash will help to kill any remaining germs. Your diet is also vital to good oral health. Make sure to drink plenty of water and eat a diet that contains dairy products, lean protein, green vegetables, and complex carbs so that your body gets the nutrients it needs to stay healthy. 

Regular Cleanings & Preventative Care

Whether you are 2 or 102, prevention is the key to good oral health. Preventative dentistry includes oral care, education, and treatments designed to avoid gum disease, cavities, and enamel wear. From daily brushing to semi-annual dental cleanings and regular check-ups with a dentist – it’s all part of a routine to keep your mouth healthy. And a healthy mouth means less serious work needed down the road.

Root planing & Deep Cleanings Cleanings

A deep cleaning is a specific procedure to treat gum and periodontal disease. We may use an instrument called a probe to measure the area around your teeth to see if you have any pocketing in the sulcus (the space between the tooth and gum where bacteria may group). We may recommend deep scaling and root planing if the pockets exceed 3 millimeters. Scaling involves removing plaque and calculus from the enamel of the teeth both above and below the gum line. The other part of deep cleaning is root planing to remove plaque and calculus from the surface of the roots of your teeth. A scaling and root planing procedure may take more than one visit. 

Sensitive Teeth & Regular Cleanings

Some people have very sensitive teeth and gums and are worried about cleanings. But our team at Tecumseh Ridge Dental practices gentle dentistry and aims to make our patients as comfortable as possible. Many adults avoid visiting the dentist because they are concerned that their teeth will hurt or feel worse during the exam or subsequent cleaning. When working with the right dentist or hygienist, you will feel comfortable regardless of your teeth sensitivity.

How often should I get my teeth cleaned?

We recommend that adults have their teeth cleaned twice a year. It promotes good oral health and prevents bigger issues. A cleaning and a quick exam, and you are on your way. Good oral health is important regardless of how old you are, and as people age, their risk for an oral infection continues to increase. This is partly because, as teeth age, the protective enamel starts to wear away, and it can become easier to get a cavity.  Another reason is a dry mouth; teeth must be “bathed” in saliva or a saliva substitute to wash away harmful bacteria. The best way to combat this is by brushing and flossing twice a day in addition to visiting the dentist regularly and drinking lots of water. 

Your smile creates a lasting impression and significantly affects your appearance. Your oral health also significantly affects your overall health and quality of life. Getting your teeth and gums professionally cleaned and checked by a dentist regularly is the best way to keep your teeth and gums looking great and to prevent serious problems such as tooth decay, gum disease, and tooth loss.  At Tecumseh Ridge Dental your regular checkup is simply part of your Dental Care.

Does my insurance cover my cleaning?

Most insurance plans cover a cleaning twice in a calendar or policy year or every six months as long as the annual maximum was not used up. Some plans may apply a deductible towards the diagnostic and preventive services. Under some plans, there may be coinsurance for dental cleanings and other dental services.

We encourage patients to provide us with their dental insurance information in advance so we may give you the most accurate out-of-pocket estimate.