When you have plaque and tartar on your teeth, brushing and flossing alone cannot remove these layers, leaving your smile vulnerable to cavities and gum disease. But with a professional dental cleaning, your Prairie Village, KS, dentist can improve your oral health and help your smile shine!
The Impact of Plaque and Tartar
When you have a diet high in sugar and starch, and don’t brush and floss properly, this can leave behind particles trapped between the teeth or along the gum line. As bacteria consume these particles, this elevates oral acidity and coats the teeth in a sticky layer known as plaque. The buildup will harden with time into tartar. These layers can weaken and erode enamel to cause cavities and infection, and can irritate and inflame gum tissues to boost the risk of gingivitis and periodontal disease. The buildup is also linked to teeth stains and bad breath. To help safeguard your smile, you need a professional cleaning to remove these layers before they threaten your smile.
Cleaning with Ultrasonic Scaling
A dental cleaning every six months, three to four if you have high risk factors for gum disease, can help control the buildup and keep your smile bright and healthy. As part of the process, we will use an ultrasonic scaling device, which employs gentle vibrations to help break up and remove the buildup from your teeth and along the gum line. We also have a manual pick for the more stubborn portions of buildup. Once we remove these layers, we will rinse your mouth and then polish the teeth. Polishing your smile helps brighten your teeth and also makes it more difficult for plaque and tartar to adhere to the surfaces of the teeth.
Controlling Harmful Buildup
We urge you to have a dental cleaning every six months, but we also have tips for controlling these layers from home. In between your six-month visits, we hope you will take time to brush your teeth for two minutes when you wake up and then again before going to bed. We recommend using a fluoride toothpaste to help strengthen the outer enamel, and a toothbrush with soft bristles to prevent inadvertent gum damage. You also need to floss every evening too, as this removes the particles of food and drink caught between the teeth and beyond the reach of your toothbrush. Try to cut back on the sugar and starch in your diet too!
DO YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT REMOVING PLAQUE AND TARTAR
Our team is ready to help you enjoy better oral health with preventive dental care. To find out more about preventing poor oral health, you can call Dr. Browne in Prairie Village, KS, at 913-901-8585.
