During your bi-annual visit to your dentist’s office, the dental hygienist that works with him or her will take care of many of the routine services. While the dentist will take care of the examination, the hygienist will usually take care of routine cleanings.
Types of Dental Cleanings
The condition of your teeth during your routine exam will determine the type of cleaning one of our dentists at Kids First Dental in Roanoke will assign you. There are three types of cleanings:
- Prophylaxis or a routine cleaning
- Periodontal scaling and root planing, otherwise known as a deep cleaning
- Debridement
The periodontal scaling and root planing are usually followed up by periodontal maintenance cleanings.
Prophylaxis Cleanings
Routine cleanings take place after a dentist has examined your teeth and found that they are in good health, free from gum disease and bone loss. The hygienist that works with our dentists at Kids First Dental will do these cleanings. Routine cleaning helps get rid of plaque, calculus or tartar, and removes stains from teeth.
Periodontal Scaling and Root Planing
These cleanings are more in-depth, which is why they are usually referred to as deep cleaning. They remove plaque and tartar, which is dried plaque that a toothbrush cannot clean. They help to remove these substances from exposed roots if the gums have begun to recede because of periodontitis, which is serious gum disease.
Periodontal Maintenance Cleanings
After having a deep cleaning at our dental office in Roanoke, they are usually followed up by maintenance cleanings that continue to disrupt the growth of bacteria that leads to gum disease. How often you need this cleaning will depend on the severity of the gum disease. It could be necessary every three to six months.
Debridement
This cleaning takes place if you haven’t had one in a year or more. It is done by one of our dentists at Kids First Dental because it’s more than a cleaning, it’s considered a procedure. It removes heavy build-up of plaque and tartar above and below the gum line.
If you need to schedule exams and cleanings for yourself and your family, contact one of our dentists near you in Roanoke.
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