Some common dental procedures, like cleaning and polishing, can prevent dental problems. Understanding the type of procedures we recommend will help you make informed decisions about your oral health needs. Good preventive oral care at home can save your teeth and improve your oral and overall health.
Gum disease is often caused by a build-up of bacteria (or plaque) on your teeth and under the gum line. The best way to remove plaque is to brush and floss your teeth daily. But no matter how well you clean your teeth, there will always be areas that are hard to clean. Plaque can build up until it turns into calculus (or tartar), making it impossible to remove by brushing and flossing alone. The more plaque build-up around the tooth and under the gum line, the more it can lead to gum disease. To reduce the risk of gum disease or to stop it from becoming more serious, we may recommend to have your teeth professionally cleaned, called scale and polish. Our registered dental hygienists can do this procedure for you. Scaling is a procedure where plaque and tartar are scraped from the surface of your teeth. This is done using hand instruments or a vibrating ultrasonic instrument. If your teeth have stains, they may need to be polished. A fluoride treatment may be applied to strengthen your teeth.
