Teeth Cleaning
Regular Teeth Cleaning
Brushing and flossing at home is essential to dental hygiene. Still, regular dental cleanings are also crucial for keeping your teeth clean and healthy. At routine cleanings, we can double-check to ensure that your teeth and gums are healthy, remove tartar buildup that you can’t get with a toothbrush or floss, and ensure that you are avoiding gum disease or dental fillings. Without regular dental cleanings, you may develop gum disease or gingivitis, which can severely damage your teeth and gums.
Benefits of Regular Dental Cleanings
- Plaque removal. Tartar (also called calculus) and plaque buildup, above or below the gum line, can result in more severe periodontal issues. Unfortunately, even with a proper daily home brushing and flossing routine, removing all debris, bacteria, and deposits from gum pockets can be impossible. Our Larchmont dentist, Dr. Eric Spellman or dental hygienist will use specialized dental equipment to catch potentially damaging buildup.
- A healthier-looking smile. Stained and yellowed teeth can drastically decrease the aesthetics of your smile. Prophylaxis is an effective treatment for ridding the teeth of these unappealing stains and yellowing.
- Fresher breathe. Bad breath (or halitosis) is commonly indicative of advancing periodontal disease. A combination of rotting food particles and potential gangrene stemming from a gum infection can result in bad breath. So, the routine removal of plaque, calculus, and bacteria can improve halitosis and reduce disease immensely.
How Often Should I Have Dental Cleanings?
The American Dental Association and our dentist, Dr. Eric Spellman, recommends teeth cleanings every six months or twice a year. Every six months is ideal for maintaining optimal dental health, as we can eliminate tartar that may threaten oral health. In addition, taking preventative dental measures is the perfect way to maintain overall oral health, and routine dental cleanings play a significant role.
How Should I Floss at Home?
Flossing is another essential part of your oral hygiene regimen. It can get food caught between the teeth that a toothbrush can’t reach. Flossing is also great for eliminating plaque that can build up between the teeth. Here are some tips to get more out of your daily flossing routine:
- Gently move your floss back and forth as you maneuver it through the teeth. This movement ensures you get everything built up between the teeth.
- Don’t snap your floss between the teeth. If it snaps to the gums too quickly, it may injure the gums, resulting in bleeding.
- Disposable floss picks or flossing brushes can be a good alternative if you find flossing too difficult or painful.
Schedule A Teeth Cleaning Appointment
Contact our dentist in Larchmont, Dr. Eric Spellman at (914) 315-4446 to schedule a regular teeth cleaning appointment today. At Eric Spellman, DMD, for over 30 years we continue to provide teeth cleaning for patients from Mamaroneck, Scarsdale, Rye, Harrison, and many surrounding areas.