The American Dental Association recommends that all patients visit the dentist biannually for dental cleanings and comprehensive exams. In the past, metal scraping tools were the objects used to clean the teeth. However, we prefer to use ultrasonic tools to give your teeth a more thorough clean. This cleaning method involves vibrating hand tools using water, mouthwash and tiny bubbles to provide your teeth and gums with a deeper clean.

Do You Visit the Dentist?

Do you see your dentist at least twice a year? If not, you may leave yourself at risk for oral health diseases. The American Dental Association recommends that every person visit the dentist at least twice a year for comprehensive exams and dental cleanings.

Studies show that only about 65% of people are visiting the dentist each year. Many of those are only getting to a dental office once a year instead of the recommended twice a year as well, which raises their risk significantly for cavities and oral issues growing severe. If you do the math, that 35% that doesn’t go to the dentist is about 30-40 million Americans each year that skip this part of taking care of their oral health.

That could be why oral hygiene issues are so common among Americans. Let’s take a look at the statistics:

• Tooth decay is the most “prevalent, chronic disease” according to the National Institutes of Health.
• Gum disease affects more than 64.7 million Americans, and that is only counting the adults it affects.
• A large majority of adults, teens and children have gingivitis (the first stage of gum disease) without knowing it.
• More than 120 million Americans are missing at least one tooth due to oral health problems.
• More than 36 million Americans have no more teeth left in their mouth.
• 92% of Americans have had cavities—often more than one—by adulthood.

Dental Cleanings: What Are They?

When you come into our office for a dental cleaning, Dr. Ania or one of her dental hygienists will provide your teeth with one of the best cleanings they will get all year. This isn’t your ordinary brushing and flossing. Our hygienists will brush your teeth with our brushing and polishing tools. They will remove tartar (mineralized plaque) with ultrasonic treatments or fine hand tools. We will remove all plaque from your teeth and polish them. Thorough flossing will remove stuck food and will determine if your flossing habits are good or not. We will also provide you a flouride treatment that will protect your teeth from decay and strengthen them. A dental hygienist will clean every part of your tooth meticulously and Dr. Ania will evaluate your oral health.

Dental Cleanings generally go hand-in-hand with comprehensive exams. This is a time for Dr. Ania to check your mouth for oral cancer. She will do a thorough examination of your tongue, lips, cheeks, throat and more, and will check for any abnormalities. She will check your biting, chewing and swallowing patterns and see if you need orthodontic treatment in the future. If you have tooth decay, we will set up an appointment to remove your decay and restore your tooth health. For gum problems, she can prescribe you antibiotics for gum infections or bacteria problems. If your oral health needs improvement, she will teach you what needs to be done at home to keep your teeth and gums healthy.

How Ultrasonic Teeth Cleaning Is Different

Your dental cleaning is one of the best dental office services that helps you avoid oral health diseases and helps to treat any dental issues you already have. When you have oral health issues, you may want to consider a deeper oral cleaning that can come through ultrasonic teeth cleaning. Instead of just a regular tooth cleaning, ultrasonic cleaning will get deeper into your gums to clean them, while removing dental plaque better. Plaque on your teeth is made when you eat sugars. That sugar mixes with mouth bacteria, creating plaque, which is a naturally-occuring biofilm on the teeth.

Over time, dental calculus—which you know by the name of “tartar”—builds up without good oral hygiene practices. This will create very hard deposits on your teeth that may look gray, yellow, or brown. The tricky part is that you can’t remove it without powerful dental tools. Generally, a dentist will use a metal scaling tool, which is a dental instrument that will scrape deposits and plaque from your teeth. However, this is insufficient to remove the amount of deposits some people have.

Ultrasonic cleaning is a newer technology that uses electromagnetic forces in an ultrasonic scaler to clean the teeth. Instead of a metal scaler, a hand-held “wand” is used for cleaning. This ultrasonic cleaning scaler vibrates faster than the speed of sound, carrying enough force that it blasts away plaque and calculus buildup on the teeth. To avoid problems with the vibration, the wand also carries a stream of water (lavage) that sprays as it blasts.

What to Expect

Ultrasonic teeth cleanings take less time (about 1/3rd less time) than a normal teeth cleaning. Because of the vibrations through the ultrasonic cleaning wand, you can get a more gentle clean than what is done with the metal scraper or with other dental procedures to counteract tartar, gingivitis and gum disease. Our wand also helps patients with coffee or tobacco stains on the teeth that can discolor the teeth. At your next dental cleaning, ask about ultrasonic teeth cleaning and what it can do for your mouth.

So many people have tooth decay and gum disease—both of which are avoidable with proper oral health habits. Investing in a dental cleaning can help eliminate your chance of other oral health issues. Trying out ultrasonic teeth cleaning can help you more quickly correct tooth decay and gum disease problems. Win the battle against tooth decay by having your ultrasonic teeth cleaning at our dental office today. Simply call Dr. Ania’s office at 303-443-0998 to schedule your appointment!