The Importance of Regular Dental Check-ups and Cleanings at Your Local Dental Clinic

Even though keeping to tight work schedules, attending kids’ sports days and maintaining a neat and tidy home may be difficult at times, every adult should find the time in their busy schedules to visit their dental clinic at least twice a year, even if they are not experiencing a toothache.

Regular visits to the dentist are as important as consulting with your general practitioner bi-annually. Even though you feel fit and healthy, health check-ups are still necessary. The fact that you are being proactive in your approach to dental healthcare may prevent more serious issues later.

The dental professionals at Intercare Medical and Dental Clinics know how busy life can get. But we are also well aware of how important it is to take care of your health. Unfortunately, many parents take a second seat to their family’s well-being and their personal preventative care practices, especially when it comes to their teeth, as they tend to only visit their dentist when the pain is already unbearable.

With this in mind, we would like to discuss the importance of regular dental check-ups and how dental cleaning twice a year will assist your overall health, fitness and mental well-being.

What Does A Full Dental Cleaning at Your Local Dental Clinic Entail?

Normal daily routines such as brushing, flossing and self-examination of your mouth, teeth, gums, throat and tongue all form part of normal, proactive dental preventive care. Full dental cleanings at your local dental clinic should take place every six months and are vaguely equivalent to a check-up with your doctor, except that your dentist will focus on maintaining healthy teeth and gums. Dental cleanings are an extension of your personal dental health routine and may be beneficial in detecting problems before they become too severe.

During this short process, a dentist or qualified oral hygienist will remove bacteria, plaque and tartar from the surfaces of your teeth. They may perform a brief teeth polishing procedure or other preventive services during the same visit, like dental sealants or fluoride treatments. It also avails an opportunity for your dentist to inspect your mouth for any evidence of tooth decay, unusual swellings or gum damage. They may check your throat, mouth and neck for any irregularities and assess any abnormalities.

These visits to your dental clinic may seem unnecessary, but, in many instances, general oral health is closely related to your overall health. For example, being diagnosed early with signs of gum disease or premature tooth decay could lead to early detection of chronic conditions like high blood pressure, heart disease, and diabetes, or even give advanced notification of a stroke. Early diagnosis and treatment could lead to a healthy outcome, but there are variations in dental cleaning techniques.

3 Types of Dental Cleanings You Might Expect from Your Local Dental Clinic

 

Although there are different types of dental cleanings based on your needs and dental requirements, they all have the same objective – to remove harmful bacteria and reduce your risk for future dental complications:

 

• Prophylaxis: This is a routine, preventative cleaning for those who have maintained their dental regimes, visited their dentist regularly and have a full set of healthy teeth and gums.
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• Gross Debridement: This treatment is reserved for those that have not maintained a dental routine. They have not visited their dentist for a year or more and have an extensive build-up of plaque and tartar. It follows a similar process to the prophylaxis but may take longer. Following the completion of this type of teeth cleaning, the dentist can determine if any problems were not initially diagnosed before cleaning.
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• Scaling and Root Planing: Also known as deep dental cleaning. If you have been negligent in your dental hygiene altogether, or if you suffer from a chronic illness – which also may be a cause – you may develop periodontitis (gum disease).
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• Scaling and root planing is a process that entails a deep cleansing which reaches beneath the swollen gum line to flush out bacteria and chip off tartar that hardens to the surfaces of the teeth and roots. If caught in time, this treatment may protect your smile and prevent loss of teeth, gums and bone. A local anaesthetic is usually administered to numb the gums during this procedure.

 

Drilling Down on Dental Cleaning

 

Dental cleanings always involve scaling and polishing your teeth; the extent of which is determined by the condition of your mouth, teeth, and gums. Your dentist or oral hygienist will complete these procedures and possibly recommend other diagnostic and preventive treatments in the same sitting. Treatments you might commonly expect from your dental clinic might include:

• Scaling: This routine hygiene treatment is a good way to refamiliarise yourself with your dentist and be in the chair. It is usually painless, even though you might hear and feel scraping noises and sensations in your mouth. This is because your dentist might be making use of hand instruments called scalers to remove plaque and tartar from your teeth surfaces. They may also use an ultrasonic scaler which might give off a slight vibration and sprays a jet of water.
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• Polishing: Your dentist will make use of a rubber cup and a special pumice or paste to polish your teeth. Polishing, once again, is a painless procedure. It removes biofilm on your teeth surfaces and reduces plaque build-up without damaging your enamel.
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• Preventive Treatments: Once your teeth are cleaned and polished, a thorough examination of your oral health can be done. At this stage, your dentist might recommend other preventative services. Whether you are a teenager or an adult, if you have back teeth (premolars or molars) with deep grooves or crevices, they might suggest a dental sealant or fluoride treatment. These procedures can help protect these areas from harmful bacteria that might cause cavities and help strengthen your enamel.

 

Dental Clinics That Care for You

 

Conveniently located in cities and their surrounding suburbs across South Africa, our dedicated, friendly dental personnel at Intercare Medical and Dental Clinics offer most dental procedures. From oral hygiene, teeth cleaning and polishing to more specialised services, our kind and understanding dental staff will see to your whole family’s dental health. Whether it has been only a few months or a few years since you have been to a dental clinic, get back in the chair at Intercare. We have a team of professional, qualified dentists that will see to your oral hygiene needs.

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