3 Things To Expect At Your Next Dental Cleaning

23 October 2017
 Categories: Dentist, Blog

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Visiting a dentist for an examination and cleaning is vital if you care about the health of your mouth and teeth. When you visit a dental clinic for a regular visit, you will most likely meet with a dental hygienist, and here are three things he or she will probably do during your visit.

Take x-rays

X-rays are a standard part of most dental visits; however, most dental clinics only take x-rays once a year. If you visit a dentist twice a year, like dentists recommend, you will probably only need x-rays at every other visit. X-rays are vital for oral health, because they reveal problems with teeth that are not visible to the eyes. X-rays can also reveal hidden problems, such as infections with a tooth's roots and problems with the jawbone or gums.

Measure your gums

Many dental clinics now measure a person's gums during a standard visit too, but this too is typically completed only once each year. Measuring your gums is something that helps a dentist find gum disease at an early stage. When this is done, the hygienist will use a tool that measures in terms of millimeters. He or she will measure the pockets in your gums, which are the areas where your gums and teeth meet. If the pockets are larger than normal, it is a sign of gum disease, and gum disease is much easier to treat when a dentist spots it when it is first beginning.

Clean your teeth

One of the main things completed during a regular dental visit is teeth cleaning. The hygienist will use a variety of tools during this process, but the main tool is called a scaler. The hygienist uses a scaler to remove plaque from your teeth. Plaque is sticky and is something that leads to cavities if it is not removed. If plaque is not removed, it begins to harden and turns into tartar. Your hygienist can try to scrape tartar off your teeth too, but removing tartar is much harder than removing plaque.

After scraping the film off your teeth, the hygienist will polish and floss your teeth too. He or she will then give you a fluoride treatment to strengthen your teeth.

If you want to keep a healthy, nice-looking smile, you should visit a dental clinic twice each year. To schedule a visit, contact a local dental clinic of your choice today.