Teeth Cleaning Whittier CA

Routine Teeth Cleaning

Routine Teeth Cleaning Whittier, CA

Oral hygiene is a must if you want to maintain healthy teeth and gums. However, if you’re like most people, at times, you experience oral problems, including:

While restorative treatments (like fillings and deep dental cleanings) can fix these issues, many of them can be prevented with good oral hygiene and regular dental cleanings in Whittier.

How Often Do You Need a Dental Cleaning?

The dental healthcare community recommends professional teeth cleanings every three to six months. How often you need a cleaning depends on your unique needs, including:

  • How quickly plaque builds up
  • How susceptible you are to dental decay
  • If you have a history of gum disease

Preventative cleanings typically happen every six months regardless of the age of the patient. Those who have a history of gum disease need cleanings more frequently to maintain the health of their gums and prevent disease progression.

Teeth Cleaning in Whittier CA
Dental Teeth Cleaning in Whittier CA

What Happens at a Dental Cleaning Appointment?

Using specialized dental tools, a dental hygienist will clean areas of your teeth that floss and toothbrushes can’t reach.

Even if you have perfect homecare practices, there’s always at least a bit of plaque and tartar to remove. Tartar is calcified plaque. Once the plaque hardens into tartar, it is impossible to remove with a toothbrush or floss. Only your hygienist can remove tartar. If the tartar is not addressed, it will irritate the gums and start you down the path toward gum disease.

Once your hygienist has cleaned your teeth, they’ll polish them with a rubber cup and polishing paste (this is somewhat gritty). Coronal polishing helps remove surface stains, as well as any remaining plaque. Your hygienist will also floss your teeth to ensure that all surfaces of your teeth are clean.

If necessary, your hygienist or an assistant may provide you with a fluoride treatment, either a foam treatment or fluoride varnish.

Do Dental Cleanings Hurt?

Dental cleanings don’t hurt. You may feel some pressure when the hygienist is removing tartar but not pain. If you have tooth or gum sensitivity, please let us know before your cleaning. We can take steps to reduce any discomfort you might otherwise experience.

If it’s been a while since your last dental cleaning in Whittier, you may experience some mild gum soreness. This will dissipate in a few days. Rinsing with warm salt water can provide some relief.

Will a Dental Cleaning Cause Tooth Sensitivity?

Again, if you get your teeth cleaned regularly, you shouldn’t experience any adverse effects after treatment. However, if it’s been a while since your last cleaning, you might experience some tooth sensitivity in addition to gum soreness.

The reason for this is because as tartar builds up on the teeth, it covers the enamel. Once the tartar is removed, the enamel is exposed to hot and cold air or foods and drinks. Because of this, some sensitivity may occur. It will take a few days for your teeth to adjust, but the sensitivity should subside.

If the sensitivity continues or gets worse over time, please contact our office. This may be a sign of a more serious issue. Even if you don’t have a serious dental problem, we can take steps to significantly reduce your overall sensitivity.

Teeth Cleaning Near Me Whittier CA
Home Teeth Cleaning Whittier CA

What Can You Do to Keep Your Teeth Cleaner at Home?

Dental home care is vital for keeping gum disease and dental decay at bay. However, it’s not enough to simply brush your teeth each day. You need to do so properly.

  • Brushing : Ideally, we’d all brush our teeth whenever we eat something. Unfortunately, this isn’t always practical. At the very least, brush your teeth twice a day – morning and before bed. If you can’t brush after lunch or a snack, rinse your mouth with water. Using an electric toothbrush often helps clean teeth more effectively while still being gentle on the gums.
  • Flossing: Floss at least once a day, utilizing the C-shape flossing technique to get under the gumline and sweep away plaque.

Following these guidelines will help ensure optimal dental health and easier dental cleanings from your Whittier dental team.

What Are Your Options If You’re Diagnosed with Gum Disease?

If you have bleeding, swollen, red gums, you might have gum disease. Gingivitis is the first phase of the disease and is reversible. Once the disease progresses beyond that point, it is no longer reversible.

However, it can be stopped.

To stop progression, we will perform a deep cleaning procedure to thoroughly remove all plaque and tartar below the gumline. We then recommend follow-up cleanings every three to four months to maintain gum health.

Treat Your Gums and Teeth to Regular Dental Cleanings

We want to help you prevent gum disease and dental decay. Regular dental cleanings are one way we can do this. During these appointments, our compassionate team will provide you with the tools you need to maintain good oral health now and into the future.

Are you ready for that fresh, squeaky clean feeling of professionally cleaned teeth? Contact us to schedule your next cleaning appointment.

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