Teeth Cleanings
Deep Cleanings For Teeth
Oral Hygiene Services
Prevention is one of the foundations of our practice.
We can treat a range of dental problems, including periodontal disease. But ultimately, we think it’s better to prevent these problems in the first place. This approach saves you time, discomfort, and money. We think you’ll agree that prevention is the way to go!
Preventive Cleanings
Cleanings with a trained and skillful dental hygienist are one of the keys to preventing gum disease and decay. Your hygienist will carefully inspect your teeth and gums for signs of disease and then gently but thoroughly remove every trace of plaque and calculus from your teeth.
Plaque is the sticky film that builds up on your teeth throughout the day. It is a combination of saliva, food particles, and bacteria. These bacteria excrete acid, and this is what damages your enamel to create cavities and irritates your gums, leading to periodontal disease. Brushing and flossing at home will remove most of the plaque from your teeth, but it’s virtually impossible to remove all the plaque with your toothbrush and dental floss.
When plaque remains on your teeth and beneath the gumline for a period of time, it hardens into calculus, also known as tartar. Once this occurs, professional tools and skill are required to remove it without damaging the enamel or gum tissue.
Of course, great home care is also an important factor, and your cleaning is the perfect time to discuss your own oral hygiene routine. Dr. Bratton and our highly trained hygrienists can give you recommendations and tips to improve your technique so you can get the most benefit from your routine.
Periodontal Disease and Therapies
As many as one in two adults in the U.S. have some level of periodontal disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This is a huge problem, especially because periodontal (gum) disease doesn’t just affect the health of your mouth. In recent years, scientists have linked periodontal disease to a whole range of serious systemic health conditions, including heart disease and diabetes. At our practice, we take prevention and treatment of periodontal disease very seriously.
While good preventive care will significantly reduce your risk for periodontal disease, it’s hard to eliminate the risk completely. Periodontal disease tends to run in families, and certain health conditions and even medications may increase your tendency to develop this chronic inflammation.
We offer non-surgical periodontal therapies to help bring periodontal disease under control and keep it that way. In its earliest stages, periodontal therapies can reverse gum disease and prevent damage from occurring. As periodontal disease progresses, deep cleaning (also known as scaling and root planing) will stop the disease in its tracks and help you avoid further damage.
Is It Time for a Cleaning?
Even if it’s been a while, call us today and we’ll find an appointment time that works for you. Our goal is never to make you feel bad about your current level of dental health. We just want to work with you to help you improve your health and feel better.
Keep Your Teeth Health With Routine Cleanings
Gumlines with lots of damage and infection can end up pulling away from the tooth. In these cases, the gum may form pockets. In a healthy gum and tooth, the gum is covering an extensive amount of the root and provides a kind of sealant. In an irritated or damaged gum line, the pockets will form as irritated gum pulls away from the tooth. Inside these pockets, more bacteria can fester and live freely next to the exposed deeper regions of a tooth. It is because it tends to follow along the root of a tooth, and is more in-depth than general types of cleaning where standard enamel and teeth receive cleaning. A dentist can examine these pockets using special tools, or may also require x-rays to assess the state of your teeth.
You may know you require a deep cleaning if your teeth look longer than usual, if gums feel swollen, or gums easily bleed after brushing or flossing. There are a few other factors that may make someone more apt to need a deep cleaning. If you are a smoker, have diabetes, or avoid regular tooth cleanings both in the office or at home. Certain kinds of medication can negatively impact your dental health, like contributing to parched mouths. In some cases, oral contraceptives cause hormonal changes to shift the way teeth and gums function. Unfortunately, ignoring a sign that teeth are unhealthy can prolong and worsen any symptoms and lead to more significant damage.
Why Is Deep Cleaning Your Teeth Necessary?
If gums get diseases or infected, it impacts many parts of your daily living and overall health. Gum disease has shown correlations with heart disease in recent years. The body can also be burdened with chronic inflammation that becomes a constant battle and fatigues the body. Often when gum disease is present, it also means that teeth are swollen and tender to the touch. Having a better ability to chew positively impacts someone’s ability to eat or drink various kinds of food and liquid. Keeping gums healthy can mean eating a more extensive range of foods, which means broader access to various nutrients.
Contact Our St Joseph Dental Office
Are you ready to get that beautiful smile back you have always wanted? Contact Bratton Dental Co. today for all of your teeth cleaning in St. Joseph, MO.