Teeth Cleaning and Dental Hygiene

Making a Healthy Smile at Silverdale Dental Center

Regular teeth cleaning is one of the most effective ways you can keep a healthy smile. While daily brushing and flossing go a long way in maintaining oral health, tartar and other deposits will still build up in hard-to-reach places on your teeth. This can lead to periodontal (gum) diseases, which can not only cause pain and infection but even cause your teeth to loosen.

While common, periodontal diseases are very easy to prevent with good hygiene and regular teeth cleaning appointments at Silverdale Dental Center.

Dental Hygiene and Regular Cleanings

Silverdale Dental Center recommends that healthy teens and adults should have their teeth professionally cleaned at least once every six months. Our professional cleaning visits include a thorough exam for all ages.

The examination includes a health history update and a soft tissue/oral cancer screening. Our dentist will examine your entire mouth and look for any signs of decay or periodontal disease. They will also examine your bite and your TMJ (temporomandibular joint) and take necessary x-rays.

During this process, you are always encouraged to ask as many questions as you feel necessary. The frequency of deep teeth cleaning can vary based on home habits and the health of your teeth and gums. You should visit your dentist more often in certain situations:

• You have braces
• You smoke regularly
• You have gum (periodontal) disease

Cleaning Your Teeth Effectively and Efficiently

Our team of professional dentists will use a wide variety of tools to clean your teeth during your visit.

• Prevention is key: The primary purpose of having your teeth cleaned is to prevent periodontal diseases. As such, we focus especially on those hard-to-reach places you normally don’t get to with your toothbrush where diseases are most likely to spread.
• Polish those pearls: During the cleaning portion of your routine visit, our dental hygienist will use a variety of instruments to remove plaque, tartar, calculus, or staining deposits that cause cavities in your teeth. The dental hygienist will then use polish and floss to remove any remaining stains.
• Protect your smile: We use a fluoride solution in our polishing paste for all of our patients, not only because it strengthens the teeth against decay but also because it has a proven antibacterial effect, which helps to prevent periodontal disease.

At home, we recommend also doing the following in between cleaning appointments:

• Use an antibacterial mouthwash.
• Floss your teeth at least once a day.
• Brush your teeth at least twice a day.
• Brush with a fluoride-based toothpaste.
• Soft-bristled, electric toothbrushes are also recommended.

When Should My Kids Start Visiting the Dentist?

Teething happens at different ages for different babies, and our pediatric dentist recommends bringing your little one in sometime between the first tooth and the first year. Dental cleanings start as soon as teeth emerge, but families should also learn and establish good hygiene habits at home. Bringing your child(ren) early also helps familiarize them with the dentist, easing dental anxiety that can happen with waiting too long.

If you would like to learn more, be sure to visit our pediatric page. Our children’s dentist wants to provide a great dental experience for kids of all ages, and help them maintain good oral hygiene for life!

At-Home Hygiene Routine

• Brush Your Teeth Twice a Day: Feel free to brush more often than twice a day, but you want to make sure you’re cleaning your teeth when you wake up and before you go to sleep to clean out food and bacteria.
• Floss Every Day: We can’t overstate how important flossing is. Even the best brushers can still get cavities or tartar collections between their teeth; flossing cleans 30% more tooth surface that brushes cannot reach! Keep your gums and teeth healthy by establishing this simple but important habit.
• Schedule Regular Dental Visits: Every six months, we’d like to catch up on both life and teeth changes! At Silverdale Dental Center, we strive to create a welcoming and comfortable environment where it feels like chatting with an old friend every time you come in.

Relax and Let Our Team Do the Work!

We understand that dental anxiety is very real and very common, but we take extra steps to ensure patient comfort. This starts with our welcoming and friendly care coordinators as soon as you walk in. The assistants take you back to either your hygiene or treatment appointment, where you are offered water, a pillow, or blanket. For kids, our pediatric area has shows and movies available for each child to select whatever they’d like to watch during their appointment. There are also PRIZES for the kiddos after each visit!

A cleaning with one of our hygienists is a simple and enjoyable experience. Teeth cleanings are vital in maintaining your oral health, greatly reducing the chance of suffering from gum disease while brightening your smile.

Contact Us Today To Find Out How We Can Improve Your Oral Health!

We can assure you that at Silverdale Dental Center, you will be well taken care of from the moment you make the appointment to the day you check out; our team works hard to ensure every visit is a pleasant and comfortable one. If you or your child are feeling anxious about a dental visit, make sure to let a team member know. Contact us today with any questions you still have about your next teeth cleaning appointment!