Brush your teeth at least twice a day. Check.
Floss between every tooth daily. Check.
Get a regular dental check-up every six months. Check and check.
Have your teeth professionally cleaned at a dental clinic near you annually. Huh?
Brushing, flossing, and checkups are essential to your dental and oral health, but they will not — alone — keep your teeth and gums as clean as possible, and will not alone prevent the accumulation of plaque and tartar, which can contribute to gum disease. Professional teeth cleaning in Edina will remove all that plaque and tartar to eliminate the fuel for tooth decay and gum disease.
What are the steps taken during teeth cleaning in Edina?
Your dentist and the staff at a dental clinic near you are experts when it comes to health and maximizing the cleanliness of your teeth. There are four steps to teeth cleaning in Edina.
STEP ONE is a careful physical examination of your whole mouth, not just your teeth. The examination is completed by your dentist’s dental hygienist prior to commencing cleaning.
STEP TWO is when the dental hygienist removes plaque and tartar along your gum line and between your teeth using a scaling tool. Scaling is an even more thorough level of cleaning than occurs at a regular dental appointment and cleans below the gum line to prevent periodontal (gum) disease from developing or progressing.
The THIRD STEP to professional teeth cleaning in Edina is polishing your teeth using an electric brush to remove any remnants of tartar.
The FINAL STEP is to apply fluoride to your teeth using a gel placed into a pan, then onto your teeth for approximately 60 seconds. The fluoride gel offers ongoing protection from cavities and tooth decay long after your professional teeth cleaning.
How long will it take?
Typically, getting teeth cleaning near you takes between half an hour and an hour. There are a lot of factors that can contribute to your appointment being longer or shorter. Those influencing factors include things like:
- How long has it’s been since you last had your teeth cleaned
- How much plaque has accumulated on your teeth
- Whether your dentist needs to perform an examination before beginning the cleaning
- Whether your dentist needs to take x-rays before beginning the cleaning
Why is annual teeth cleaning near you a good idea?
The primary benefit of having your teeth cleaned once a year at a dental clinic near you is the removal of plaque and tartar from your teeth to prevent them from causing stains and tooth decay. While that is the primary benefit, it is far from the only one. Here are several additional benefits — including some that may surprise you — of visiting your dentist once a year to have your teeth cleaned:
- Cleanings will prevent the development of periodontal (gum) disease
- Having your teeth cleaned annually reduces your risk of heart attacks and strokes
- Having your teeth cleaned annually reduces the risk of other diseases such as diabetes, cancer, and even dementia
- Regular teeth cleanings will reduce the risk of tooth loss
- Examinations at a regular cleaning may identify minor dental problems, allowing treatment to take place or be planned before the problem becomes bigger and the treatment becomes more complex and expensive
- You’ll have a brighter smile and sweeter breath
Teeth cleaning in Edina is a quick and simple process that — in just an hour once every 365 days — will eliminate plaque and tartar to reduce the risk of tooth decay and gum disease. To maximize the cleanliness of your teeth every day of the year, contact a dentist near you to arrange annual teeth cleaning.