The benefits of routine professional teeth cleaning


Professional Teeth Cleaning to Prevent Periodontal Disease


How Teeth Cleaning Is Performed

For patients with healthy teeth and gums, and even in those who have the earliest signs of gingivitis, a teeth cleaning usually involves three simple steps:

  • Fluoride: In most cases, your dentist and/or dental hygienist will recommend a fluoride treatment after each cleaning. Applied as a rinse, gel, foam or a varnish, fluoride is a mineral that helps strengthen the enamel, which is the outermost layer of the teeth, helping it resist the acid attack that can lead to tooth decay.
The Stages of Gum Disease

Gum disease is a progressive condition with three stages:

  • Gingivitis: Plaque contains numerous strains of bacteria, many of which can irritate the gums and cause them to swell and bleed. This is the first stage of gum disease and is completely reversible. A thorough professional cleaning coupled with vigilant cleaning techniques at home, which your dental hygienist will demonstrate for you, will usually restore your gum tissues to optimal health.
  • Periodontitis: This stage of gum disease occurs when tartar along the gumline breaks the attachment of the gums to the teeth, causing bone loss and periodontal pockets. These openings between the gums and teeth trap food particles and bacteria that damage the structures holding the teeth in place. A therapeutic (deep) cleaning by your hygienist or dentist, which involves removing bacteria from the periodontal and root surfaces so that the gums can reattach to them, can help prevent more damage. Antibiotic therapy and antimicrobial rinses are also used in some cases to help control the infection.
  • Advanced Periodontitis: In this third stage of periodontal disease, the gums, periodontal ligaments and bone sustain so much damage that the teeth may begin to loosen. In the advanced stages, your hygienist cannot help you. You need more aggressive treatments from a Periodontist, such as laser surgery and bone or gum tissue grafts to help prevent tooth loss.