Teeth Cleaning: Your Guide to a Healthy Smile

‍Everything You Need To Know About Preventive Cleanings

Chances are, you’ve had at least a few teeth cleanings in your life. But whether you’re overdue for a checkup or you’re just curious about what happens during a dental cleaning, Dr. Nunes and the team at Max Dental Studio are here to help. 

In this guide, we’ll take a deep dive into how teeth cleanings work, why they're so important, and how you can keep your mouth healthy between six-month visits with great at-home oral hygiene. Let’s dig in and discuss everything you need to know to keep your smile healthy in Durham, NC.

What Happens At A Teeth Cleaning? Explaining The Basics

The process is super simple. Along with an oral exam from Dr. Nunes, a teeth cleaning is part of every six-month visit at Max Dental Studio. To begin the process, one of our hygienists will perform a brief exam to make sure your teeth are healthy enough for a dental cleaning.

Then, your hygienist will use a scaling tool to gently scrape plaque and tartar away from your teeth. Plaque and tartar are filled with bacteria that contribute to cavities and gum disease, so this is a super important step.

The next step is to use a rubber cup polisher and gritty toothpaste to buff and polish your teeth. Basically, this is a super-powered electric toothbrush that helps remove surface stains and any remaining plaque or tartar from your teeth.

The final step is to floss your teeth. This helps remove any remaining debris and also gives your hygienist insights into your oral health. For example, if your gums bleed easily during flossing, this may indicate the presence of gingivitis, the first stage of gum disease.

All in all, a dental cleaning usually takes about 30 minutes. But in total, you can expect to spend around an hour at Max Dental Studio, since you’ll also need an oral exam from Dr. Nunes and you may also need X-rays.

How Often Do I Need To Schedule A Teeth Cleaning?

The ADA recommends that most patients have their teeth cleaned at the dentist every six months, and that’s our recommendation at Max Dental Studio, too. Along with oral exams from Dr. Nunes, six-month dental cleanings are essential for maintaining your oral health.

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If you skip a teeth cleaning or two, you may not get cavities right away or start suffering from gum disease. But the longer you wait to get a cleaning, the more likely it is that you’ll develop one of these common oral health issues. Even with a healthy lifestyle and good oral hygiene, it’s not possible to fully clean your teeth and protect your smile on your own.

Why Are Twice-Yearly Dental Cleanings So Important?

There are lots of reasons that it’s worth getting your teeth cleaned at the dentist every six months. Here are just a few reasons that you should book your next dental cleaning at Max Dental Studio right away:

Eliminate harmful plaque and tartar buildup

As you eat and drink, the bacteria in your mouth reproduce and form a sticky film called “plaque.” Over time, this hardens into “tartar,” a hard and crusty coating that’s impossible to remove from teeth on your own. You can only fully remove plaque and tartar with a visit to the dentist for a professional cleaning.

Keep your smile bright

Tartar buildup doesn’t just raise your risk of gum disease and cavities. Plaque is often yellow, brown, or dark in color, so it can discolor your smile and make you feel self-conscious. With routine six-month teeth cleanings from Max Dental Studio, you can keep your smile nice and bright!

Identify cavities and gum disease early

During your cleaning, your dental hygienist can look for early signs of cavities and gum disease. Along with X-rays and an oral exam from Dr. Nunes, this means that if there is an issue, you can get treatment right away for the best possible outcome.

Look for signs of oral cancer

As part of every six-month cleaning and oral exam at Max Dental, Dr. Nunes will check for signs of oral cancer. This is particularly important if you’re a current or former smoker or tobacco user, you drink a lot of alcohol, or if you spend a lot of time outdoors.

Save time and money

Teeth cleanings are cheap, especially when compared to the cost of treatments like dental fillings and crowns to treat cavities, or deep cleanings to treat gum disease. Dental cleanings typically cost between $75 and $200, and are usually covered in full by dental insurance.

Your Guide To Hygienist-Approved At-Home Dental Care

Even if you take excellent care of your teeth, you can’t get professional results without teeth cleaning from Dr. Nunes and our team of hygienists at Max Dental Studio. However, there are some steps you can take to keep your teeth in great shape between your six-month teeth cleanings.

• Always use fluoride toothpaste – Despite what some people may say about fluoride, it’s a completely harmless chemical. And it’s essential for restoring, rebuilding, and protecting your enamel. Fluoride attracts minerals that strengthen your teeth and fight back against cavities. So don’t reach for fluoride-free or “natural” toothpaste. Instead, choose an ADA-approved toothpaste that includes fluoride.
• Brush at least twice per day – A good routine is to brush once in the morning when you wake up and once at night before bed, and after your final meal or snack of the day. If you want to step up your oral hygiene routine, you can even brush after lunch, too!
• Spend at least two minutes brushing – It takes about 30 seconds to clean each quarter of your mouth properly. The order doesn’t matter, but you should clean each tooth one by one and make sure you brush the front, top, and back surfaces thoroughly.
• Hold your brush properly – It’s best to hold your brush at a 45-degree angle relative to your teeth. This ensures you clean each surface thoroughly and also helps the bristles can clean plaque and tartar away from your gum line effectively.
  
• Avoid rinsing right after brushing – Fluoride is the most beneficial if you let it sit on your teeth for a few minutes. That means that you should avoid rinsing with water or mouthwash right after you brush your teeth. Let the toothpaste sit for at least 10-15 minutes.‍
• Don’t forget about flossing – Flossing is not optional! It removes plaque and food debris that you simply cannot reach with a toothbrush. You should floss at least once per day. If you’re not sure how to floss properly or find it difficult, you can ask Dr. Nunes for tips. Plastic floss picks and water flossers are also good alternatives to traditional dental floss.‍
• Finish up with alcohol-free mouthwash – Rinsing with antibacterial mouthwash once per day helps protect your mouth from cavities and gum disease. We recommend rinsing after flossing. This helps wash away any debris that may have been loosened during the flossing process.‍
• Make lifestyle changes, too – Things like reducing your intake of sugary beverages and snacks, quitting smoking or vaping, and staying hydrated can help you maintain top-notch oral health.

Schedule Your Teeth Cleaning In Durham, NC Today

At Max Dental Studio, we offer expert teeth cleaning services in a comfortable, relaxed, and modern environment. Whether you’re new to the area, switching dentists, or haven't gotten a cleaning in a few years, we’re here to help. 

Ready to see the Max Dental Studio difference for yourself? Give us a call at (919) 383-7020 or book your first visit online. Dr. Nunes and our team look forward to meeting you, learning more about your experiences with dentistry, and developing a personalized treatment plan that will keep your oral health and overall well-being on track.