Daily oral hygiene practices like brushing, flossing, and mouth rinsing are essential for maintaining healthy teeth, gums, and mouth. In addition, you may need to visit your dentist for routine dental checkups and cleanings for additional preventive care. A deep cleaning may be crucial to maintaining oral health for patients with early signs of gum disease like sore, swollen, sensitive, or bleeding gums.
Unlike regular dental cleanings, deep cleaning helps remove plaque and tartar buildup in the mouth, preventing the progression of gum disease and promoting healthy gums. In this guide, let's discuss how often you can get dental cleanings, the link between gum disease and deep cleaning, and how plaque and tartar indicate the need for deep cleaning.
Generally, the frequency of deep cleanings will depend on your oral condition and needs. People with generally healthy teeth and gums may never require deep cleaning. Routine dental checkups and cleanings are enough to remove plaque and tartar buildup in the mouth and maintain optimal oral health.
For individuals with early signs of gum disease, like gingivitis, less frequent deep cleanings may be essential to remove bacterial deposits, reverse gum disease, and restore the health of your gums. Individuals with average to severe gum disease may need more frequent deep cleanings every 3 - 4 months. It helps keep gum disease at bay and prevents complications like tooth and bone loss.
When you visit our dentist's office near you, the dentist will evaluate your condition and needs to determine whether and when you should have deep cleanings.
Gum disease is commonly caused by poor oral hygiene, which leads to bacterial plaque and tartar accumulation on the teeth and gums. If left uncleaned for long, these deposits accumulate above and below the gum line, leading to various oral issues like teeth sensitivity, decay, bad breath, and gum disease.
In the early stages, gum disease is known as gingivitis. It's characterized by red, sensitive, swollen, or bleeding gums. With prompt detection and treatment, gingivitis can be treated and reversed, restoring the health of your gums. If you don’t treat gingivitis promptly, it can progress to periodontitis, a severe stage of gum disease that damages the gums and other supporting structures of the teeth, leading to tooth loss and other complications.
Deep dental cleaning, or dental scaling and root planing, is crucial for removing plaque, tartar, and bacteria on the teeth and above and below the gum line to manage and treat gum disease. These cleanings help reduce inflammation and infections in the gums, reversing and managing gum disease and promoting healthy gums and mouth.
Plaque is a sticky, colorless bacterial film on the teeth and around the gum line. It commonly forms when bacteria mix with saliva and other debris in the mouth. If not removed through brushing and flossing, more plaque accumulates and hardens into tartar, a harder deposit that can only be removed with professional cleaning.
Over time, plaque and tartar accumulate on the teeth and gum line, increasing your risk of gum disease and other oral problems. Common signs that you may have plaque and tartar buildup and might require a deep cleaning include:
Sore, red, or bleeding gums: These signs often indicate early gum disease, which is often caused by bacterial plaque and tartar buildup around the gum line. Consult your dentist for periodontal disease treatment if you have these symptoms.
Gum recession: Over time, the accumulation of plaque and tartar can cause your gum tissues to pull from the teeth, creating periodontal pockets.
Persistent bad breath or taste: A persistent bad breath or taste can indicate gum disease or an overgrowth of oral bacteria, often caused by plaque and tartar buildup.
Loose teeth or changes in the bite: Plaque and tartar buildup under the gum line can damage the supporting structures of the teeth, leading to loose, shifting, or falling teeth.
Tooth sensitivity or pain: Plaque and tartar buildup around your teeth can cause enamel erosion or expose the teeth roots, causing mild to severe tooth discomfort.
For more information about gum disease and deep cleanings near you, contact Peak Dental - North Austin.
