You should attend routine dental check-ups, which include professional teeth cleanings, every six months or so. This dental attention is crucial because your at-home efforts of brushing and flossing your teeth alone cannot get your teeth as clean as necessary to maintain a healthy smile.
If you develop gum disease, an infection of the gum tissue, and need dental treatment to get rid of this disease, you might find the process familiar. Periodontal therapy resembles a dental cleaning because it involves a cleaning procedure to remove excess bacteria. But these two dental treatments differ significantly from each other as well.
You can feel more confident undergoing either of these therapies when you know these details about them. Read on to learn more about how dental cleanings and periodontal disease treatment compare and contrast with one another.
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How Dentists Clean Your Smile
A professional teeth cleaning is part of a routine dental check-up that all patients should receive approximately twice a year. Dentists begin the process by asking patients to rinse their smiles with mouthwash to clear away larger particles in their teeth.
Then the dentist will use a scaler to scrape away plaque and tartar build-up that stick to the teeth. These residues often collect near the gumline and other areas of the mouth that a toothbrush cannot easily reach. This cleaning process should not hurt if you adhere to consistent at-home oral hygiene to prevent significant build-up.
The dentist will then polish the surface of the teeth with a special brush and paste, which can remove some stubborn stains. They finish the treatment by using string floss to clean between each tooth. The rest of the check-up will involve an oral exam and offering patients more preventive oral healthcare, such as fluoride treatment.
Eradicate Gum Disease with Periodontal Therapy
Periodontal therapy is a treatment given to patients diagnosed with gum disease. About half of American adults can contract this gum infection at some point in their lives. So many people are familiar with this restorative dental solution.
This treatment helps patients with early stages of gum disease, like gingivitis, where the infection exists in the top layer of the gum tissue. To get rid of the infection, the dentist will use a cleaning procedure called scaling and root planing.
Dentists employ a scaler like they would for a routine teeth cleaning to reach and remove the bacterial build-up deep in the gum pockets. Then they smooth the damaged gum tissue against the tooth to encourage it to heal through root planing.
Periodontal therapy provides more targeted treatment to eradicate an existing condition. Dental cleanings, on the other hand, clean the teeth in an effort to prevent contracting an oral health problem. They share similar procedures but vary in their purposes. Book your routine dental check-up to learn more about the care your smile needs to stay radiant and healthy.