One of the most important services your dentist offers as part of regular office visits is a thorough 
teeth cleaning. Your dental hygienist usually performs this step in a routine dental exam, using special tools to clean and polish your teeth. You need a good dental cleaning in Columbus Ohio at South High Dental every six months to prevent tooth decay, gum disease and other problems associated with plaque and tartar buildup your toothbrush leaves behind.
What Takes Place in a Routine Dental Visit?
When you visit South High Dental in Columbus, Ohio once every six months, these visits follow a routine pattern of an oral exam, dental X-rays as needed and a thorough teeth cleaning. But if you slip in this routine and skip some visits, you risk needing more extensive dental services. This happens because teeth cleaning plays a vital role in keeping plaque, tartar and bacteria growth under control between your biannual appointments.
General dentistry services in Columbus Ohio for your routine visit start with a conversation between you and your dentist. You need to update your patient history with any new medications you take since your last visit. You also need to advise of health changes experienced in the prior six months. Many of these medications and conditions affect dental health, so the information helps your dentist plan your care.
The next step in your six-month visit is a thorough dental exam. The dentist looks for signs of decay, gum disease, and other problems. This exam also includes a cancer screening for your mouth, head, and neck. If the dentist needs X-rays for a better view of your oral health, these take place during your visit.
Usually, at the end of your appointment, the dentist recommends a professional teeth cleaning. Teeth cleaning at South High Dental clears away plaque, tartar, and bacteria that builds up between visits. The hygienist uses special tools to scrape plaque and tartar from your teeth and beneath the gum line.
After the scraping, your hygienist polishes and flosses your teeth. The polishing provides that smooth, fresh feeling you look forward to after each routine appointment and teeth cleaning in Columbus Ohio. The dental cleaning helps you prevent tooth decay, gum disease, bad breath, and other oral health problems until you return for your next biannual appointment.
How Does a Routine Teeth Cleaning Compare to a Deep Dental Cleaning?
A routine teeth cleaning is just that, routine. This cleaning is the one described above that takes place in the dentist’s office as part of your routine six-month visits. But when you skip visits or show signs of gum disease, your dentist sometimes recommends a deep teeth cleaning. This type of dental cleaning provides more intensive removal of plaque, built-up tartar, and bacteria in the early stages of gum disease.
A deep teeth cleaning involves scaling and root planing using manual scaling, electric or ultrasonic tools. Scaling is the scraping of plaque and tartar from your tooth surfaces and pocket areas between teeth and gums. Root planing cleans the roots of your teeth so gums can reattach.
Importance of Routine Dental Visits and Cleanings
Beyond your home oral hygiene habits, the best prevention of gum disease and other dental problems take place during your six-month visit at South High Dental. If you do not fulfill these biannual needs, you risk needing a deep cleaning of scaling and root planing or even bigger problems. Other important dental services provided by your Columbus dentist at South High Dental include:
Teeth cleaning is one of the best preventive tools you have against dental health problems. So ensure you visit South High Dental for these cleanings twice each year. Schedule your next visit at South High Dental now by calling 614.363.2462.