Preventive Dentistry

Professional Teeth Cleaning

Professional teeth cleaning (Prophylaxis) by a dentist / dental hygienist is recommended to remove tartar (mineralized plaque) that may develop even with careful brushing and flossing, especially in areas that are difficult for a patient to reach on his own at home. Professional cleaning includes tooth scaling and tooth polishing and debridement if too much tartar has accumulated. This involves the use of various instruments or devices to loosen and remove deposits.

Dental cleanings involve removing plaque (soft, sticky, bacteria infested film) and tartar (calculus) deposits that have built up on the teeth over time. Your teeth are continually bathed in saliva which contains calcium and other substances which help strengthen and protect the teeth. While this is a good thing, it also means that we tend to get a build-up of calcium deposits on the teeth. This chalky substance will eventually build up over time, like lime scale in a pipe or kettle. Usually it is tooth colored and can easily be mistaken as part of the teeth, but it also can vary from brown to black in color.

If the scale or calculus (tartar) is allowed to accumulate on the teeth it will unfortunately provide the right conditions for bacteria to thrive next to the gums. The purpose of the cleaning and polishing is basically to leave the surfaces of the teeth clean and smooth so that bacteria are unable to stick to them and you have a better chance of keeping the teeth clean during your regular home care.

Also it leaves your teeth feeling lovely and smooth and clean, which is nice when you run your tongue around them.

The professional cleaning of teeth is sometimes referred to as Prophylaxis (or Prophy for short). It’s a Greek word which means “to prevent beforehand” – in this case, it helps prevent gum disease case, it helps prevent gum disease.

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What is Calculus & Tartar?

Calculus & Tartar is an accumulation of remaining food particles mixed with Bacteria which causes Cavities and Bad Breath.

How does Tartar develop?

Tartar & Stains develop if proper vertical brushing technique is not followed. It usually occurs on teeth, which are not used for chewing & it occurs on those surface of teeth which are not cleaned by our toothbrush especially lower inner surface & upper back teeth surface.

How to avoid Tartar formation?

• By using the correct Vertical Brushing technique & seeing to it that each & every tooth surface is cleaned by the toothbrush.
• By regularly visiting a dentist every 6 months, getting your teeth & gums cleaned.

What if I do not clean my stains & tartar on a regular base every 6 months?

It may lead to bad breath and multiple cavity formation. It may even lead to discoloration of teeth, weakening & bleeding of the gums further progress of the disease.

Will my teeth become white by cleaning?

No. Teeth cleaning do not change teeth color to white, but it only removes the external superficial discoloration & stain from the tooth surface caused due to tobacco, smoking, or tea, coffee, etc. Bleaching makes teeth whiter.

Will my teeth become loose or weak by cleaning regularly every year?

• Teeth cleaning does not make your teeth loose; instead it makes your gums healthy to hold your teeth more firmly and give you a fresh Breath & avoid any gum infection.
• Secondly regular dental check-ups helps us to diagnose any new cavity developing which can be stopped at that stage only & thus prevent it becoming deeper and painful and the need of Root Canal Treatment.

How are dental cleanings done?

The dentist or dental hygienist uses specialized instruments to gently remove these deposits without harming the teeth.

Ultrasonic instrument 

Commonly used first is an ultrasonic instrument which uses tickling vibrations to knock larger pieces of tartar loose. It also sprays a cooling mist of water while it works to wash away debris and keep the area at a proper temperature. The device typically emits a humming or high pitched whistling sound. This may seem louder than it actually is because the sound may get amplified inside your head, just like when you put an electric toothbrush into your mouth. The ultrasonic instrument tips are curved and rounded and are always kept in motion around the teeth. They are by no means sharp since their purpose is to knock tartar loose and not to cut into the teeth.

Fine hand tools

Once the larger pieces of tartar are gone, the dental worker will switch to finer hand tools (called scalers and curettes in dental-speak) to remove smaller deposits and smoothen the tooth surfaces. These tools are curved and shaped to match the curves of the teeth. They allow smaller tartar deposits to be removed by carefully scraping them off with a gentle to moderate amount of pressure.

Polishing

Once all the surfaces are smooth, the dental worker may polish your teeth. Polishing is done using a slow speed hand piece with a soft rubber cup that spins on the end. Prophylaxis  paste – a special gritty toothpaste-like material – is scooped up like ice cream into the cup and spun around on the teeth to make them shiny smooth.

Air – Driven Polishing System (Prophy-Mate)

Prophy-Mate is an air-driven tooth polishing system.

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Air-polishing is a rapid and highly effective way to return to a brilliant smile. The luster of teeth can be reduced due to over-indulgence in coffee and other strong foods and drinks. We are offering our patients an immediate solution that will make their teeth look and feel fantastically fresh and clean.

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Fissure Sealants

In the history of tooth decay prevention, two breakthroughs stand out: fluoride and sealants. Dentists learned that balanced fluoride treatments could help defend the teeth against decay and that the application of sealants could further offer protection for the teeth. For more than 30 years now, sealants have offered a protective plastic coating that covers the surfaces of teeth to help prevent tooth decay.

Tooth Decay and Children

Because of their many bumps and grooves, the chewing surfaces of children’s teeth are highly susceptible to cavities. Debris and resulting bacteria may become lodged between the grooves of a child’s tooth. These grooves (called pits and fissures) may be more problematic for some children than for others.

Toddlers, children in cavity-prone years (aged four to 17) and adults all face the same pit and fissure problem. Premolars and molars have the most pits and fissures, and are difficult for people of any age to reach with a toothbrush or dental floss. However, the application of sealants on the appropriate teeth can help prevent tooth decay for susceptible populations.

The Dental Sealant Procedure

The dental sealant procedure is usually performed on baby teeth soon after they erupt, and repeated at regular intervals over the years. Since the sealant is gradually lost through natural wear and tear of the teeth, the application must be repeated to remain effective.

First, our dentist will clean the teeth, dry them and apply a slightly acidic solution that is designed to help the sealant bond to the tooth surface. Then, each tooth is “painted” with a very thin layer of the sealant coating. Since the coating is clear or white, it blends easily with the natural tooth color.

Typically, our dentist will use a high-intensity curing light to harden the sealant after it has been painted on your teeth. Sealants can last for many years, but they should be checked regularly and assessed for possible re-application.

It is important to note that sealants do not replace fluoride. Rather, they add to the benefits of fluoride, and may preserve teeth so that they do not decay or require more extensive dental procedures later on.

Fluoride Application

Fluoride: The Tooth Protector

Approximately 170 million people in the United States use fluoridated water provided by their public water authorities. According to the American Dental Association (ADA), widespread availability of various sources of fluoride has greatly diminished tooth decay rates in America and abroad.

Dental Benefits of Fluoride

A naturally occurring compound, fluoride has been proven to effectively reduce the prevalence of dental caries and tooth decay. How does this work, exactly?

• Strength Over Time: Fluoride makes teeth stronger to help prevent initiation of dental caries and tooth decay resulting from acid contained in sugars and the breakdown of carbohydrates.
• Therapeutic Output: Fluoride re-mineralizes areas of the teeth that are weakened by acid.

Fluoridated Choices

Our dentist can help determine if you are receiving an appropriate amount of fluoride in your diet. Fluorides come in two basic forms:

Topical Fluorides: These fluorides strengthen teeth by providing better resistance to decay. This category includes toothpastes and home mouth rinses, as well as gels, foams and rinses incorporated during your dental visits.

Systemic Fluorides: These fluorides include water fluoridation, tablets, drops or lozenge dietary fluoride supplements. Not all public or private water sources contain ADA-recommended levels of fluoridation (0.7 to 1.2 parts fluoride per million parts water). Check with your dentist for information about the fluoridation level in your community’s water. Dietary fluoride supplements may be recommended for children between the ages of six months and sixteen who live in communities without fluoridated water. These supplements are available by prescription only.

The Bottled Water Effect

The increasing consumption of bottled water has left many Americans with an inadequate daily intake of fluoride. In response, many bottled water manufacturers are now adding a fluoride supplement to their products to compensate. In 2006, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ruled that bottled water manufacturers may claim that bottled water containing .6 to 1.0 mg/L total fluoride may reduce the risk for dental cavities and tooth decay.

Special considerations must be applied to children under the age of seven who face an increased risk of dental fluorosis (enamel hypermineralization caused by excessive fluoride consumption). This developmental stage requires a reduced daily intake of fluoride for the healthy growth of teeth.