Many people know how important it is to have regular dental cleaning Melbourne to help prevent both cavities and gum disease. But what many people don’t know is that there are actually two types of cleansing – your regular cleansing (or should be) every six months and very deep cleansing is usually reserved for people with moderate to advanced gum disease.
Even if you haven’t heard of deep tooth cleaning before, you may have heard of it by its “other” name – root planning and scaling. It’s a little more descriptive, but it still doesn’t describe what Deep Clean does, or when and why it is done. Here’s how to tell the difference between two types of cleaning and find out what you need.
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Both regular and deep cleaning of teeth has a primary goal: to get rid of plaque and tartar deposits that can lead to gum disease and other oral health problems. But other than that, the two processes are very different.
Regular cleaning of teeth
You get this type of cleaning when you visit dental clinic for your regular six-month check-up. During regular dental cleaning, your hygienist uses special tools to remove sticky plaque and hard tartar deposits from the surface of your teeth above your gums. This cleansing is very important to prevent gum disease and to treat very mild forms of the disease (called gingivitis).
Regular cleaning is also a good time to ask your hygiene specialist about areas of your mouth that need a little help with your brushing and flossing routine, and your hygienist can make sure you are doing both can get rid of. Plaque and tartar as much as possible during your home routine. In addition to preventing gum disease, brushing your teeth every six months can also help eliminate bad breath. Regular cleaning is usually combined with regular check-ups to allow the dentist to examine your teeth, diagnose oral cancer, and take X-rays if needed.
Deep tooth cleaning
As the name implies, dental cleaning Melbourne provides deep cleaning of your teeth, using special techniques to get rid of plaque, tartar and bacteria all the way down to the gums line and up to the roots of your teeth. The bacteria that cause gum disease prefer to hide in the hard tartar deposits on the surface of your teeth that are protected by your gum. As the bacteria grow and multiply, they release toxins that irritate your gums.
Over time, your gums begin to pull away from the surface of your teeth, creating tiny pockets that allow bacteria to reach the roots. Infections around the base of your teeth can weaken the roots, causing your teeth to fall out. In fact, the gum disease is the leading cause of tooth loss in adults.
The dental cleaning Melbourne of the teeth removes bacteria below the gums line and around the roots, preventing the progression of gum disease and damage to the teeth. In addition, your dentist will lubricate (or flatten) the root surface of your teeth to make it harder for bacteria to “stick” to them in the future. Sometimes, antibiotic gel is applied to the teeth during cleaning so that it can kill the inaccessible germs; At other times, oral antibiotics or a specific antibiotic mouth rinse may be prescribed. As it goes down your gum line, deep tooth cleaning uses a local anaesthetic to numb your gums or, if your gums are very sensitive or you are anxious, use sedatives to keep you calm and comfortable.
Stop gum disease on its way!
Regular dental cleaning Melbourne and deep cleaning both play an important role in preventing infection and tooth loss due to gum disease. If it’s been a while since your last cleaning, book an appointment to prevent any sort of gum disease.