Can you explain proper dental hygiene?
Proper dental hygiene begins at home. You need to be consistent with brushing and flossing and make sure that your oral hygiene is maintained. You should brush twice a day and floss at least once a day. You may choose to use a rinse or mouthwash to freshen your breath. These are the most important things you can do. It is also recommended to brush the tongue because a lot of odor-causing bacteria is found on the surface of the tongue, which will help freshen your breath.
What are the consequences of not practicing good dental hygiene?
If you don't practice good dental hygiene, you basically get gum disease at some point. This disease can lead to the destruction of the supporting structures for your teeth. If you follow this process down the line, you may even lose your teeth as a result. Practicing good dental hygiene at home and coming into the dental office for your checkups and cleanings twice a year will prevent gum disease and any destruction caused by it.
What are the duties of a dental hygienist?
The duties of a dental hygienist are to help you take care of your teeth and keep your oral cavity as healthy as possible. You do your part at home, and when you come into the office, my job is to pick up the slack. I can reach all of those nooks and crannies that you might miss on your own. Together, we're able to maintain your oral health.
What happens during a dental exam and cleaning?
When you come in for your dental exam and cleaning, several things happen. First, we go over your medical history to ensure there are no major changes since your last visit to the office. Then, we may take x-rays to review what is going on with the teeth, gums, and bone level that we may not see with the naked eye. The next portion of the visit would be to actually clean the teeth. I would remove the deposits on the teeth that have collected since the last visit, something that you were not able to remove on your own—the plaque and tartar, which are the bacterial deposits that irritate the gum tissue causing inflammation and bleeding. My job is to remove that as thoroughly as possible. At the end, I would polish the teeth, which gives a nice buff finish and removes any superficial stains from the teeth.
What tools do you use during the cleaning process?
The tools I use include a cavitron, an ultrasonic tip that has water and vibrations passing through the tip at a very high speed. They help dislodge any hard particles that are stuck onto the teeth. Then, I use hand instruments to fine-tune the cleaning of the surfaces of the teeth. With the hand instruments, I remove the smaller particles that are tough to remove and tenacious in order to achieve a very smooth surface of the teeth and to maximally remove the stains and toxins from the surfaces at the gum level as well as above the gum level. The last portion, as I mentioned before, is polishing the teeth. It is a very comforting procedure. A lot of people, especially young children, like it because it feels a little ticklish. That is the final portion that will finish up the process and leave your teeth bright, white, and shiny.
Is the cleaning process painful?
If the person comes in regularly for their exams and cleanings, which is usually twice a year in the condition of healthy gums, the process of cleaning is absolutely pain-free and no discomfort is associated with it. The warning comes to people who wait for a long time between their appointments. That's when a lot of deposits accumulate at the gum level, under the gums, causing inflammation, bleeding, and puffiness. That condition will actually cause you to feel a lot of discomfort, so we try to avoid it and prevent it by encouraging you to come in regularly.
How long does a thorough cleaning take?
In our office, I try to do a very thorough job from start to finish. You can expect to be in the chair for 45 minutes to an hour.
When is a deep cleaning necessary?
A deep cleaning may become necessary when a person hasn't been to a dentist in a long while and there's a lot of plaque and tartar, and there may be some destruction of the bone supporting the tooth. The gum may not be at its healthiest. By doing a deep cleaning, we remove all of those deposits and give the gums a fresh start. We let them get a breath of fresh air to start healing again and start feeling better again. That will eliminate the symptoms that are initially causing all of that discomfort and will get you back on the road to healthier gums and teeth.
What should you do after a dental cleaning appointment?
After a dental cleaning appointment, you just go about your day and continue at home with the regular brushing and flossing as before. There shouldn't be any lasting unpleasant sensations afterward.
Do you have any final thoughts on dental hygiene?
I hope we've been able to answer some of your questions about dental hygiene. If you have additional questions, you may call us here at Great M of New York. The phone number is (718) 557-9883, and we will try to help you.