Creating Beautiful & Healthy Smiles at Warren Family Dentistry
At Warren Family Dentistry, we encourage patients to maintain regular dental cleaning and exam appointments to achieve a beautiful and healthy smile. While keeping up with an at-home oral hygiene routine is necessary for healthy teeth, you should also visit the dentist every six months to avoid developing oral diseases, cavities, or gum disease. Our Warren, MI, dentist proudly provides patients with exceptional dental cleanings and thorough oral health examinations, ensuring your smile is as healthy as can be.
Dr. Milad Chirco welcomes new patients to her practice. To schedule an appointment, call our Warren dental office at (586) 574-9500.
What Are Dental Cleanings?
Dental cleanings allow hygienists to remove built-up plaque and tartar deposits from the teeth and above the gums. Teeth cleanings are essential, as there are many hard-to-reach areas that you can’t reach by brushing alone. Regular cleanings help prevent cavities, gum disease, and other oral health issues from occurring. It’s recommended that patients visit their dentist at least twice a year to receive a professional dental cleaning.
What Are Dental Exams?
Dental exams are a general checkup of the teeth and gums after you receive a teeth cleaning. At your routine appointments, your dentist will always perform a visual exam of your mouth to ensure that your teeth and surrounding oral structures are healthy. They’ll check for any signs of gum problems like swelling, redness, or sores. Periodontal pockets will also be measured, which are the spaces between the top of your gum line and where the soft tissue secures the tooth in place.
The Importance of Oral Hygiene
Oral hygiene includes keeping your mouth clean and free of disease. By maintaining an at-home oral hygiene routine, you can achieve excellent dental health and a beautiful smile. We recommend an oral hygiene routine that includes the following:
- Brushing your teeth twice a day — preferably with a soft-bristled toothbrush and non-abrasive toothpaste.
- Flossing each day — right before bed is recommended.
- Rinsing your mouth between meals.
- Visiting Warren Family Dentistry twice a year.
The Benefits of Teeth Cleanings & Exams
By attending regular dental cleanings and exams, patients receive several benefits, including:
- Fills in the gaps of your at-home oral hygiene routine
- Early diagnosis of cavities, gum disease, or oral cancer
- Immediate treatment of underlying oral health conditions
- Eliminates built-up plaque and tartar
The Effects of Plaque and Tartar
Neglecting regular dental cleanings can lead to a buildup of plaque and tartar. Plaque is a white film bacteria that forms and sticks on your teeth due to left behind food, drinks, mucus, or tobacco. Built-up plaque leads to tooth decay, chronic bad breath, gum disease, and other oral health problems.
When left uncleaned, plaque will eventually harden into tartar. Tartar is a difficult-to-remove substance that leads to infection harboring pockets between your teeth and gums. You can’t remove tartar by brushing alone, as it requires specialized dental tools. When left untreated, tartar can cause problems such as deep cavities, enamel loss, and more.
What Happens at Your Dental Cleaning Appointment
We understand that not everyone has had great experiences at the dentist in the past. At Warren Family Dentistry, we’ll always do our best to accommodate you and ensure you’re comfortable during your teeth cleaning. If you have any concerns, please speak with our dental team beforehand, and we’ll decide if sedation dentistry will be beneficial for you during your appointment.
Physical Dental Exam
Before your teeth are cleaned, your dental hygienist will examine your mouth. They’ll use a small mirror to check all around your teeth and gums for signs of gingivitis (gum disease) or other concerns. If they detect any problems, the dentist may be called in before proceeding with your cleaning.
At least once a year, you’ll receive digital x-rays to ensure we can get a clear, detailed picture of your entire oral structure.
Removal of Plaque and Tartar
Your dental hygienist will use a scaler tool to remove plaque and tartar around the gum line and between your teeth. You’ll hear a scraping sound, which is normal. The more built-up tartar you have, the longer this process will take.
Toothpaste Cleaning
Once your teeth are tartar-free, your hygienist will brush them with an electric toothbrush that makes a grinding noise. It allows for a deep clean and removes any left behind tartar that the scaler may have missed. The toothpaste will have a gritty consistency that gently scrubs your teeth.
Flossing & Rinsing
Your dental hygienist will floss deep between your teeth and locate any trouble spots where your gums bleed. Even if you floss consistently at home, professional flossing will remove any leftover plaque or toothpaste from earlier in the teeth cleaning process. Once they’ve flossed your teeth, you’ll rinse out your mouth to get rid of any debris.
Fluoride Treatment
Fluoride treatments are used as a protectant for your teeth to help fight against cavities for several months. It’s applied to your teeth as a foamy gel or sticky paste. Some dentists may apply it in a mouthpiece that you’ll wear for one or two minutes. They’ll also paint fluoride varnish on your teeth that hardens once in contact with saliva so you can resume normal habits after your appointment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Patients with healthy teeth can expect their dental cleaning to take around 30 minutes. For patients suffering from poor oral health who may have cavities and excess tartar buildup, dental cleanings can take closer to one hour. It’s essential to remember that if you take good care of your oral health, you’ll spend less time in the dental chair.
A dental deep cleaning involves the removal of built-up plaque and tartar from areas between your teeth and below your gumline. Also known as scaling and root planing, deep cleanings are used for patients suffering from early-stage gum disease. The goal of deep dental cleanings is to reverse the effects of gum disease and prevent the disease from further spreading.
The cost of a dental cleaning will vary from patient to patient. On average, without insurance, patients can expect to pay between $75 and $200. However, with insurance, patients may have no out-of-pocket costs. Contact your insurance provider to learn more about your coverage.
When oral health becomes neglected, it can lead to other health conditions. Individuals suffering from gingivitis and periodontal disease have a higher chance of developing the following:
- Pneumonia
- Cardiovascular disease
- Stroke
- Endocarditis (an infection of the heart’s inner lining)
- Pregnancy complications
Schedule Your Dental Cleaning Today!
Feel good about your smile and oral health! At Warren Family Dentistry, Dr. Chirco is gladly welcoming new patients. To schedule your dental cleaning and exam, call our Warren, MI office at (586) 574-9500. You can also request more information by filling out our online contact form.
We serve many areas around Warren, including Sterling Heights, Fraser, and Clawson, MI!