For this very reason, there is a specific dental treatment that is aimed at reaching those parts of the mouth that the patient usually cannot clean on his or her own.
We are referring to teeth cleaning or tartar ablation, that treatment that is more commonly known as dental hygiene. Like a dental examination, teeth cleaning should also be performed at least twice a year (if not three times), as it is a fundamental treatment for maintaining normal enamel and gum health and avoiding more serious problems.
What is dental hygiene?
When we talk about dental hygiene we are therefore referring to a real therapeutic act performed by the dentist (or better still by the dental hygienist a figure more specialized in the field of dental prevention), which aims at a deep cleaning of the oral cavity.
This cleaning is concerned with all components of the mouth: the teeth, gum tissue, periodontal ligaments, and so on. In addition to a first and immediately obvious aesthetic benefit, professional tooth cleaning helps prevent tooth decay and prevent the formation of plaque and tartar.
In fact, this is the most important aspect related to this practice: as much as the beauty of the smile is the result most appreciated by patients, one should not lose sight of the most important goal, which is the health of the mouth.
What is the purpose of dental hygiene?
Dental hygiene is therefore a professional practice that complements the oral cleaning performed daily by each individual patient. Dental cleanings at the dentist should be performed approximately every 6-12 months, but this number may vary depending on each individual patient and his or her specific situation.
Oral hygiene is about thoroughly removing plaque, tartar, and bacteria in the mouth by means of tools that one does not have at home: thus, one goes beyond the kind of cleaning generated by the classic toothbrush and floss.
How is dental hygiene performed?
The cleaning treatment is performed by the dentist through the use of a specific instrument, namely the scaler, which is equipped with a metal tip that vibrates due to the emission of ultrasound.
The scaler, passed over the teeth, thus allows the removal of tartar from the tooth walls, including those that cannot normally be reached by brushing or other nonprofessional daily cleaning tools.
This treatment ends with a rotary brush that spreads a fluoride-based paste over the surface of the teeth, used as a final step to polish the enamel.
How to perform proper oral hygiene at home
When you cannot resort to having your teeth cleaned by a dentist, you still need to take care of your smile with daily oral hygiene.
In fact, home hygiene techniques carried out daily by the patient are of great importance in preventing tartar and caries formation.
A good dental hygienist, in addition to performing all the procedures described above to the best of his or her ability, should also be responsible for instructing the patient in the proper behaviors to carry out proper home oral hygiene.
Within the Savasta practice what we can guarantee you is excellent professionalism of our medical staff, who are highly trained and always attentive to the needs of patients.
We particularly care about seeing people satisfied with our work, which is why you will get the best advice from us on what are the correct behaviors to carry on at home regarding teeth cleaning as well.
Here are some aspects that should never be overlooked:
- Always brush your teeth after every meal, bar none.
- Brush the teeth for about 3 minutes of time, without leaving out any tooth element.
- Floss or brush once a day.
How to use the manual toothbrush
As obvious as it may seem, we would like to reiterate what is the correct way to use the toothbrush, because very often patients overlook certain steps, thus falling into error.
To carry out proper cleaning, one must:
- Moisten the bristles of the toothbrush.
- Place them at 45 degrees to the gum, keeping them clearly in contact with the tooth.
- Rotate the bristles and move them from the gum to the tooth, going for brushing in circular, unidirectional movements.
- Avoid horizontal movements, because they do not lead to the removal of dirt, but damage the gingiva and teeth (especially if brushing is too aggressive).
- Brush for at least 3 minutes.
It is then important to choose a toothbrush based on one's characteristics, as a distinction can be made between extra soft, soft, medium, and hard toothbrushes. Soft and extra soft bristles are especially recommended for those with gum recessions, while hard bristles are more suitable for cleaning removable dentures or dental appliances. It is essential to change the toothbrush every 3-4 months.
Why floss?
Flossing is used to clean the space between teeth, and it is very important to perform this procedure because most gum disease starts in this area. Flossing works by fragmenting and then removing food debris or plaque buildup between the teeth.
So if you haven't had your teeth cleaning yet this year, it's time to book one. Contact us to make an appointment and let the medical staff at the Savasta office guide you to rediscover your most beautiful smile. Get back to smiling with us!
