Introduction to Teeth Cleaning

How we clean teeth

Willow Pass Dental Care is ranked #1 by Google in search for teeth cleaning in Concord.

Dental cleaning is performed by specially-trained hygienists who work under the supervision of Dr. Reza Khazaie, who himself is a highly regarded and well-known Prosthodontist as well as the owner of Willow Pass Dental Care.

While Dr. Khazaie will not be performing your dental cleaning directly, he along with other dentists on the team will be a part of your examination to ensure that your dental care and health are in good standing.

If any abnormalities or cause for concern are discovered during the cleaning process, the hygienist will notify Dr. Khazaie or other dentists on the team for an additional review and official diagnosis.

How important is a dental cleaning?

Having your teeth professionally cleaned is not only about keeping your smile white and cavity-free. It also can impact your overall health.

Poor oral hygiene has been associated with many serious health issues. Bone loss, cancers, strokes, and other heart-related conditions have been linked to oral health issues. Brushing and flossing are essential, but regular dental cleanings and check-ups are crucial not only to oral health but overall health as well.

Professional cleanings are essential for the following reasons:

What is a Hygienist?

Dental hygienists focus on treating and preventing oral health diseases.
Their focus is to help patients protect their teeth and gums to ensure optimal oral health and influence the patient’s overall health. They mainly focus on preventive dentistry, such as providing teeth cleanings and fluoride treatments.

Seeing dental hygienists twice a year for dental cleanings can profoundly impact your overall health and well-being.

The dental hygienist is an essential part of your dentist’s team for your dental treatment. These oral health professionals must be licensed by the state they practice.

In addition, they must graduate from a university or college dental hygiene-specific program, pass a national board exam, and then a state clinical exam to receive their licensure. Once they have obtained their license, they can identify themselves as Registered Dental Hygienists or use the acronym RDH.

What does a hygienist do at a teeth cleaning procedure?

Expertly trained in preventative dental care, hygienists provide an invaluable service to dental patients. However, what they are permitted to do varies according to the state in which they were licensed.

However, the primary role of the hygienist is to carry out the following services:

• Oral exams include looking back at records, evaluating your risk for gingivitis, bone loss, tooth decay, worn-out restorations, and a cancer screening.
• Taking dental x-rays
• Check gum health by probing and recording tooth pocket depths
• Remove the accumulated plaque and calculus from teeth
• Make recommendations for improved hygiene strategies
• Counsel patients on proper nutrition for oral health.
• Apply preventative procedures such as sealants and/or fluoride.
• Inform the dentist of any issues that are uncovered at your appointments.
• Keep proper records of each patient’s care.

The above covers the basic description of a hygienist’s role in a dental practice, but their duties can vary widely depending on which state they are practicing in.

Also, some functions require the direct supervision of the practicing dentist to be carried out by the hygienist. But, again, a quick google search will provide information specific to your state.

How does a hygienist remove calculus from teeth?

Most notably, a dental hygienist is tasked with removing plaque and calculus or tartar from teeth.

Plaque is a bacteria that forms on teeth. There are always bacteria in the mouth, which is the leading cause of tooth decay. Therefore, it is essential to brush your teeth twice a day and floss at least once.

Any plaque left on the surface will harden and become calculus or tartar.

The hygienist can find calculus at the gum line (supragingival), where it is visible and takes on a yellow or tan color, and below the gum line (subgingival), where it is not visible to the naked eye.

Calculus must be removed to prevent tooth loss, bone loss, gum disease and keep the oral environment healthy and disease-free. In addition to this, if calculus is left untreated and gum disease begins to take hold, this can impact overall full-body health. For example, periodontal disease or gum disease has been linked to diabetes, cancer, cognitive issues, cardiovascular diseases, strokes, etc.

Calculus needs to be removed by a dental professional as you can not remove it at home once it has formed. The term for removing calculus from the tooth is called debridement.

The dental hygienist will use handheld dental tools and ultrasonic devices to remove the calculus. The ultrasonic uses high-frequency vibrations to chip away at the cement-like substance. Once the calculus is removed, the hygienist will polish the teeth to remove any rough areas that might become more susceptible to plaque buildup.

Finally, depending on the state of your oral health, the hygienist will consult with the dentist and determine if any further steps are necessary to get your dental health to an optimal level. This may mean additional appointments to do a deeper cleaning or merely an appointment made for your next routine cleaning.

The connection between overall health and oral health

Oral health is often singled out as an issue on its own, but oral health can directly affect a person’s overall health and often in significant ways. It should be no mystery that the mouth is teeming with bacteria. Some of these bacteria have been linked to diseases. Since the mouth is the gateway into the body, oral health should be a top priority.

Specifically, studies have shown that oral bacteria and inflammation linked to gum disease or periodontitis play a role in creating illness in the body.

The following conditions have been linked to oral health issues:

• Cardiovascular disease, including heart disease and stroke
• Endocarditis occurs when bacteria from the mouth spread in the blood and causes an infection in the lining of the heart
• Pneumonia and other respiratory diseases are caused by bacteria in the mouth traveling to the lungs.
• Pregnancy issues including low birth rates and premature births
• Cancer has also been linked to poor oral health

As seen above, the consequences of neglecting one’s oral health can lead to serious overall health issues and directly affect one’s quality of life. Something as simple as routine teeth cleaning can significantly impact both oral and overall health.

The key is to remove plaque and tartar that have formed on teeth.

Why are routine teeth cleanings important?

During a teeth cleaning, the number one focus is the removal of plaque.

As discussed earlier, plaque has detrimental health consequences to teeth, gums, roots, and facial bone. In addition, this bacteria has been linked to other serious health issues such as cardiovascular health, premature birth, dementia, and arthritis, as well as other issues.

After a teeth cleaning where the plaque has been removed, the bacteria that causes plaque begins to reform in about 48 hours. Therefore, no matter the level of at-home oral hygiene being done, it is inevitable that plaque will start to rebuild between dental visits.

The longer plaque is on a tooth structure, the harder it is to remove. Therefore, professional teeth cleanings done at least twice a year will seriously reduce the build-up of plaque and tartar, improving overall health.

In addition, going on routine dental visits can also provide early detection of oral cancer. During an oral cancer screening, the mouth is looked over to find any sores or red and white patches.

The mouth is then checked for any abnormalities or lumps. If any problematic issues are found, the dentist may refer the patient to a cancer specialist for additional tests.

Why flossing is necessary for dental health

You brush your teeth, floss for the first time in forever, and finish it off with mouthwash right before your dental appointment. So naturally, you hope your dentist and hygienist won’t notice you haven’t flossed consistently since the last visit. There is no doubt that flossing is an essential part of your dental hygiene routine, but we often joke about it. 

Brushing ensures that the surface of your teeth is clean, but flossing ensures that any food or plaque build-up is removed completely, preventing it from turning into tartar and rotting away your teeth.

Here are 4 ways flossing is necessary for dental health:

1. Cavities are significantly reduced.

Poor dental hygiene can lead to a variety of dental issues. Without proper care, teeth can rot and decay. This often results in cavities, which are holes in the enamel, or the outer, sturdier layer of the tooth. The enamel begins to break down when there is an excess build-up of plaque around the outer surface of the tooth, causing a cavity. When cavities are found early enough, they can be filled and fixed, but if they are left untreated, they can loosen and fall out.

The best way to avoid cavities is to floss twice a day. With dental floss or a water pick, we remove food or plaque from between the teeth and around the gums every time we floss. To prevent cavities and loss of teeth, flossing is crucial to your gum health.

2. Prevents and eliminates plaque building.

Those who skip flossing will eventually develop tartar or calculus on their teeth as plaque hardens. Plaque is a sticky film that forms around the teeth and along the gum line. In most cases, it cannot be seen with the naked eye, but it can cause you a lot of dental problems.

Sugary or starchy beverages or foods contribute to plaque formation. This creates bacteria that release an acid that breaks down carbohydrates. Untreated, the acid will eventually begin to break down the tooth enamel and eventually weaken the tooth.

A dental cleaning from your dentist is the only way to remove plaque if it is left on for too long. You can avoid this by flossing twice a day to prevent plaque build-up and tartar on your teeth.

3. The main prevention of gum disease

If plaque build-up becomes too great, tartar begins to thicken and line your gums and teeth, causing gum disease.

Inflammation of the gums is known as gingivitis, the first stage of gum disease. Eventually, this will lead to periodontitis if left untreated or not caught in time. In the long run, this will lead to gum recession, tooth loss, and little to no bone support. The disease cannot be reversed once it has become periodontitis; it can only be managed.

To prevent major gum disease, flossing once or twice a day will remove plaque from the gum line and reduce any signs of a build-up. The use of dental floss is not the only means of getting food and plaque out of between the teeth. Water or air picks can also be used.

4. Reduces the risk of heart disease

Your dental health often has a direct impact on your physical health, including your heart health. There is a connection between the health of your mouth and your heart health, according to the American Heart Association. A study conducted in 2019 showed that people who adhered to a rigorous dental care plan were at lower risk of heart failure. Gum disease is one of the links to heart health which is why eliminating plaque build-up is so important.

Flossing helps maintain good oral health by removing plaque. You can keep healthy in a low-cost and easy-to-care-for manner by following this advice. As part of your overall health, dental health is important, and flossing helps reduce most dental issues.

Is fluoride treatment important?

Keeping our teeth healthy and caring for them properly is an essential aspect of dental care. Our dental health is influenced by the way we clean our teeth and what we use to clean them. Generally, we think of dental care as going to the dentist twice a year and brushing, flossing, and using mouthwash at home twice a day. We don’t often look too deeply into what we’re brushing or rinsing with, such as toothbrush types, angles, and lengths.

A tooth’s enamel is its outermost layer. The enamel on our teeth is what keeps them strong and resilient, so keeping them healthy is of the utmost importance.

Once the enamel begins to weaken, your oral health and overall wellbeing become at risk. Using fluoride in your toothpaste and mouthwash will not only keep your teeth clean, but will also strengthen the enamel and decrease the incidence of tooth decay.

What is fluoride and fluoride treatment?