Taking good care of your mouth and dental health means more than brushing and flossing a few times a day. For complete, all around care, it’s important to visit a dentist at the recommended every six months for a regular checkup and professional cleaning. The first and likely most important step is to find a dentist with whom you feel comfortable, and then schedule an appointment. This might include finding a place with good prices, or perhaps somewhere close to home.
There are different ways to clean your teeth, and you may be offered differing methods for a deeper clean. Listen to the services available and always go with the dentists advice.
Clean and Polish
This is a simple procedure where your dentist will or a hygienist will remove layers of plaque with build up naturally on the teeth. After scraping off hard tartar with dental implements, the hygienist will polish the teeth in your mouth. Dental polishing removes surface stains on the teeth which leaves them shiny and smooth. This is great if you are or were a smoker or even a heavy coffee drinker as both can stain the teeth over time.
Further Polishing
Many people have their teeth polished. It’s usually a painless procedure. Usually paste is applied and a rubber implement used to polish the teeth. Sometimes this may not be enough, and further polishing is necessary, even polishing one tooth more than another or using further treatments on some and not others. Air polishing has become another effective way at polishing teeth.
The dentist will use a jet of air, and water mixed with an abrasive agent to remove stains more effectively and far faster than polishing with a rubber cup and paste. In addition, air polishing is, in most cases depending on how much is used, less harsh on tooth enamel. Sodium bicarbonate is often used as the abrasive agent in air polishing, but glycine is used too which is less abrasive on the tooth enamel.
Be Careful
Sometimes polishing may not be the best option due to complications in your mouth. For example if you are already experiencing oral issues like exposed nerves, cavities, or receding gums, then they should be looked at and treated way before you go for any kinds of polishing because it could make the underlying situation worse and make things far more painful for you. Always go with your dentist’s advice in these situations.
Although tooth polishing is not always necessarily essential and a needed dental treatment, it really helps people feel a lot more confident about how their teeth look and encourage good oral care habits. It also gives the dentist a chance to inspect other areas of your mouth to see if there are issues worth treating. If your teeth have surface stains, consider asking your dentist if having a kind of polishing will help your teeths appearance. You can at least talk it through with them.
One of the best ways of stopping this is in preventing the cause. Make sure you brush your teeth regularly and cut back on the smoking.