Spring is here, and your house is not the only thing that benefits from a spring cleaning! Smiles of all ages need to have plaque and tartar buildup removed every few months to protect them from cavities, gum disease, and more. In today’s blog, Lake Orion Family Dentistry talks about cleaning smiles in Lake Orion, MI, to keep them strong and healthy! Preventive actions offer a holistic method of protecting the health, beauty, and stability of your smile for years to come, and a spring cleaning is a key part of this strategy!
The Causes of Plaque and Tartar
A number of factors could lead to serious plaque and tartar buildup. When we don’t brush and floss daily, this could allow sugar and starch particles to remain on and between teeth, feeding bacteria to cause plaque to form. A diet high in sugar and starch is a factor too, along with a lack of professional cleanings. When plaque coats the teeth, this can harden into tartar with time and will weaken and erode the outer enamel. The same buildup will then inflame the gums to create gingivitis and gum disease. You also have a higher risk of bad breath and teeth stains! But we can help by removing all plaque and tartar gently and effectively with a professional dental cleaning.
Help with a Dental Cleaning
We want to see you and your entire family for a dental cleaning every six months. With this procedure, we will use an ultrasonic scaling device to gently remove the layers of plaque and tartar with gentle vibrations. We also have a manual pick to extract any stubborn portions. Once we remove buildup from your teeth, which only takes a few minutes, we will polish the teeth. This last step not only gives you a brighter smile, but it can help make it more difficult for plaque and tartar to accumulate before we see you again in six months!
The Periodontal Cleaning
If you already have gingivitis or the early stages of gum disease, then we could help with a unique type of cleaning known as scaling and root planing. With this option, we will gently numb your smile and then remove buildup from the teeth and exposed roots, and from under the gums as well. The process could take one visit, or possibly two or more, it all depends on the severity of your plaque and tartar buildup. We then polish your smile again. Typically, we follow this with a traditional one every three to four months to control buildup and manage the inflammation, protecting your smile from symptoms and the risk of tooth loss, which can otherwise occur due to the periodontitis stage of the disease.
Brushing and Flossing
Caring for your smile on your own in between office visits also helps limit how much buildup can occur, and protects your teeth and gums in the process. When possible, we wat to help you avoid the need for fillings or periodontal treatment, and better homecare habits can definitely help. You and your entire family need to start and end your day by brushing your teeth for two minutes with a soft-bristled toothbrush and a fluoride toothpaste. Each evening you also need to floss, which removes the food and drink particles trapped between teeth and beyond the reach of your toothbrush. Run the floss tape or string up and down each side of every tooth and dip beneath the gum line too, which helps extract trapped particles. You should do this every evening before you brush that second time. We could also discuss helpful rinses too, and healthier meal and snack options to better safeguard your smiles.
If you have any questions about how we conduct a spring cleaning for your smile, whether to maintain preventive care or manage gum disease, then contact our team today to learn more and start your treatment journey. With a safe and holistic approach to dental care, including the use of metal-free restorations, we want to help you enjoy your best possible smile, now and for years to come.
Lake Orion Family Dentistry Offers Preventive Care
With preventive dentistry, we can help you maintain good oral health and avoid issues like tooth decay or gum disease. Which is why we want to see you and your whole family for a routine dental visit every six months, or possibly three to four if you suffer from gum disease. To find out more about general dentistry, or to schedule an appointment, call Lake Orion Family Dentistry in Lake Orion, MI at (248)693-6213.
