Routine Dental Services That Preserve Your Dental Health
To care for your teeth properly, you should visit a dentist at least twice annually for routine dental care. Routine care is often preventive, helping to preserve the health of your teeth and gums.
Here are a few routine services that may be provided at a dental clinic.
Tartar Removal
When you eat and drink, the items that you consume mix with the bacteria in your mouth to form plaque. The plaque, which has a sticky consistency due to the biofilm produced by the bacteria, adheres to the teeth and other surfaces in the mouth.
Although the plaque is sticky, when you brush and floss, the substance is easily removed. Nevertheless, most people do not completely clear their mouth of plaque when they clean their teeth. As a result, some plaque remains undisturbed in the mouth for a prolonged period.
Plaque that is left in place for lengthy periods hardens, forming tartar. Even though tartar's predecessor is easily brushed or flossed away, tartar must be scraped from the teeth.
Dentists use a scraping tool, which is called a scaler, to remove tartar buildup from the teeth. If the tartar accumulations are allowed to remain in place, they promote gum disease and tooth decay.
Tartar is porous, so plaque can build upon the substance. As the bacteria in the plaque release oral acids, they cause tooth decay and gum inflammation.
Fluoride Protection
Fluoride can be used to help fortify the teeth against decay. Teeth are demineralized by bacterial acids. However, fluoride can coat the tooth surface and attract the displaced minerals back to the tooth material. As the minerals are drawn back to the tooth enamel, they mix with the fluoride to create a new tooth material that resists damage from bacterial acids.
Fluoride is often available in drinking water, toothpaste, and certain foods. However, the concentration in a professional fluoride product is much higher. Therefore, the protection offered when your dentist performs a fluoride treatment is significantly greater.
Your dentist is likely to prescribe a fluoride treatment if you have experienced tooth decay regularly. The application process is simple and painless.
The product is applied to the teeth as varnish or gel and allowed to remain in place for a few moments before it is rinsed from the mouth. Once the fluoride protection is in place, you may be asked to avoid eating or drinking for a short period.
If you have not visited a dentist this year, contact a local dentist like Pavlakos Vasilios Bill J DDS PC Dentist to schedule an appointment.