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Professional Teeth Cleanings in Annapolis, MD

The Importance of Regularly Scheduled Teeth Cleaning in Annapolis

Professional Teeth Cleanings

Among the very large number of things your mom was right about, the importance of keeping your teeth clean ranks right up there. Leaving food residue on and in between your teeth is a recipe for dental disaster. “Did you brush?” and “Did you floss?” are two of the most important health-related questions any parent can ask. That’s why professional teeth cleanings are crucial.

Even if you’re the most conscientious brusher/flosser in the world, you can’t get everything your diet leaves behind. That’s where regular dental hygiene visits, at least twice a year, featuring a professional-level cleaning come into the dental health equation.

When a professional dental hygienist cleans your teeth, that professional uses tools that go far beyond what even top-of-the-line electric toothbrushes and water-flossers can do for you at home. Part of it is the strength of professional equipment, part of it is knowing just what to look for, and part of it is the angle from which a professional hygienist can approach your teeth (put simply, she or he can see and reach things that you just can’t while looking in your bathroom mirror).

If you’ve never asked exactly what’s going on during a dental hygiene visit, here’s a little play-by-play of what usually happens:

Plaque and Tartar Removal

The first goal of a professional cleaning is to remove plaque and tartar that result from food residue and bacteria on your teeth. That’s done using specialized instruments, like the hand tools you’ve seen laid out next to your dentist’s chair and an exceptionally strong, professional-grade water flosser with a very fine and powerful spray.
Gum Health Check

Taking care of your gums is as important to us as looking after your teeth. Professional dental hygienists are trained in how to identify existing gum disease and the potential for it. Your hygienist will also check on how securely your teeth are set into your gums.
Polishing

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Plague and Tartar Removal

The first goal of a professional cleaning is to remove plaque and tartar that result from food residue and bacteria on your teeth. That’s done using specialized instruments, like the hand tools you’ve seen laid out next to your dentist’s chair and an exceptionally strong, professional-grade water flosser with a very fine and powerful spray.
Gum Health Check

Taking care of your gums is as important to us as looking after your teeth. Professional dental hygienists are trained in how to identify existing gum disease and the potential for it. Your hygienist will also check on how securely your teeth are set into your gums.
Polishing

This is where your hygienist will get your newly-cleaned teeth smile-ready; thing if it as the last step in having your teeth detailed!

Dental Hygiene Reaches Beyond Your Mouth

Just as the food you put into your body through your mouth affects your overall heath, so does your overall oral hygiene. Here are some examples:

Unchecked mouth bacteria can get into your bloodstream, increasing your risk of heart attack or stroke.
People with diabetes have a higher likelihood of gum disease, and gum disease can make it hard for diabetics to get a handle on their glucose levels
There is evidence linking gum disease to premature birth and low birth weight.

There’s a lot more to the story of oral health and overall health. We’ll be happy to explain the connection in detail when you visit us for a professional cleaning.

And through the above process, your hygienist will have access to information from your previous cleaning, so any changes in your oral health can be discussed.

That’s a very high-altitude view of everything your dental hygienist has in mind during a professional cleaning, but it does hit the high points. If you need a professional dental cleaning in Annapolis. Please call us for an appointment for a check-up that includes a cleaning from a member of our first-class dental hygiene staff.