By the Way, it's NOT "JUST A CLEANING"

No doubt you may have said..."It's just a cleaning". We have heard that quite often. So why do you need to come to the dental office for professional teeth cleanings? What's so special with the teeth cleanings at the dental office? The short answer: only the dental office has special instruments to reach areas that your toothbrush cannot reach and clean areas that were not removed by your toothbrush.

Tooth decay and gum disease prevention involves good oral hygiene practices at home, in addition to visiting the dental office for professional teeth cleanings, at least every six months. Although brushing and flossing twice daily can keep your teeth and gums healthy, we still need more help. The dental instruments get stain (from coffee, tea, latte's, pop, healthy green and red drinks - the list is long), plaque and other debris we can't see or reach. In addition, regular dental examinations catch dental decay in their early stages, so we can take immediate steps to prevent further tooth decay.

During your twice-yearly continuous cleaning care:

Dental X-rays to see between the teeth and under the gums and bone
Remove mineralized plaque and tarter
Perform tooth scaling to clear away oral bacteria coating your teeth enamel
Record bone and gum health
Polish dental enamel
Floss
Dr. Bertagna evaluates teeth, gum and bone for decay, infection and initial sign of damage
Dr. Bertagna screens for Oral Cancer
Apply Fluoride Topical Treatment (optional)

The Consequences of NOT Going to the Dentist for Continuous Cleaning Care

Even if you brush two times a day and floss, our toothbrush just cannot remove ALL anaerobic bacteria responsible for destroying dental enamel. Anaerobic bacteria flourish when our mouth has food particle remnants, dead cells and mucus. When teeth are not properly cleaned, this bacteria eventually develops into yellowish tarter and plaque stains that are not only difficult to remove, but are highly erosive to dental enamel. Plaque combines with saliva-based minerals to promote calcification of plaque. This substance called calculus, or tarter, will cause periodontitis unless professionally removed at the dental office by the special instruments for this. Loosened teeth, tooth loss, gum infection and loss of jawbone integrity are the consequences of not going the dental office AT LEAST twice a year for continuous cleaning care.

Prevention is the Best Medicine

Digital X-rays: Providing our team with high-resolution images without exposing patients to unnecessary radiation, digital X-rays improve our ability to detect tooth decay in-between teeth, embedded oral tumors, early stage infections and abscesses that often remain unseen by radiation-based Xrays. In addition, digital X-ray technology can detect minor teeth and gum issues before they develop into serious diseases requiring extensive and expensive treatments.

Oral Cancer Screening: If you have a family history of oral cancer, or if you smoke or chew tobacco, getting a yearly oral cancer screening is strongly recommended to keep your smile healthy. When caught in the early stages, oral cancer is entirely treatable with medications, radiation therapy or surgery.

Preventive Dental Care for Baby Teeth Too: It's always good to start healthy oral habits early! Although baby teeth are not permanent, maintaining good condition of baby teeth and gums is vital for having healthy adult teeth. Any dental decay or gum infections occurring prior to permanent teeth eruption can easily transfer to your baby's permanent teeth. Bring your child to the dentist for his or her first checkup around two years of age, and before they are experience teeth problems. When a child goes to the dentist office for their first visit and they are having pain, they usually remember the dentist office as painful, so start the child in the right frame of mind when there are no teeth problems. From infancy, parents can use a soft washcloth (no toothpaste is needed yet) to wipe down your baby's gums twice daily, morning and before bed.

We look forward for you to enjoy the clean fresh teeth feeling at your next professional teeth cleaning! Happy Smiles Begin With Healthy Choices!