Teeth Cleaning

Of all the procedures your family undergoes at the dentist, one of the most important is regular, bi-annual teeth cleanings. The small investment you make twice a year pays off big down the road as it helps you avoid more complicated dental interventions. Good oral hygiene that includes professional teeth cleaning plays an integral role in your appearance and your physical well-being. Start kids early when their first teeth erupt, and you and your family will enjoy a lifetime of good dental health and habits!

 

Taking care of your teeth and gums helps you to have a mouth that looks healthy and feels good. This care starts with good oral habits at home and is reinforced with professional dental care by your Albany County Dental Associates dentist and hygienist.

Brushing and flossing twice a day is the first step toward positive dental hygiene and preventative dental care. Professional dental cleaning, also known as teeth cleaning or dental hygiene, should be done twice a year to supplement your dental regimen and keep your teeth and gums as healthy as possible.

Visit a team that offers family dentistry so your entire family can be treated at the same location. And at Albany Dental, your family dentist also practices cosmetic dentistry, restorative dentistry and orthodontics, so you really can make it a one-stop practice.

The Purpose of Regular Professional Teeth Cleaning

You may think that as long as you’re conscientious about brushing and flossing, you shouldn’t need the help of a professional hygienist. But brushing by itself won’t remove all the deposits that form on your teeth. Truly the only way is with the tools and techniques your dental team uses. Removing these deposits is very important to prevent decay, gum disease and tooth loss.

Harmful substances form mainly from the food and drink you consume. Sugars from sweets, sodas, bread and even fruit cultivate in your mouth when not properly removed. The main deposits that lead to dental problems include:

• Plaque, a sticky, colorless film that builds up on your teeth and contains bacteria. This substance must be regularly removed before it leads to more serious consequences like holes in your teeth, throbbing tooth pain and severe tooth decay that requires a root canal to save the tooth.
• Calculus or tartar, a calcified substance that develops when plaque isn’t completely removed from your teeth. This substance can only be removed by a dental professional. Removal of calculus lowers your risk of cavities, periodontal disease, toothaches and extractions.

Does Teeth Cleaning Hurt?

For most people, routine teeth cleaning doesn’t hurt. You probably won’t experience discomfort during a professional cleaning, which primarily consists of gentle scraping with a special instrument and polishing with high-speed brushes. And your team at Albany Dental takes great care to make you comfortable during the process if you have sensitive teeth or anxiety about the visit.

You may find that when you ask “does teeth cleaning hurt,” you experience more discomfort if you’ve neglected good hygiene habits. Your gums may be inflamed so that a dental cleaning does cause some sensitivity or discomfort, especially when the hygienist checks the depth of the pockets between your teeth and gums. Your dentist can use an anesthetic if necessary to make your professional deep cleaning easier.

How Much Does Teeth Cleaning Cost?

Costs vary across the country. Your Albany Dental team is committed to affordable dental care, however, and helps you work within your budget, whether through payment plans or other resources. CostHelper reports that your teeth cleaning cost, when done by a dental hygienist, usually runs between $75 and $200. When there are additional services such as x-rays, the cost may be slightly higher, usually between $100 and $300.

If your teeth aren’t regularly cleaned well, the gum tissue may become inflamed and require additional deep cleaning costs. When gums are inflamed, they pull away from your teeth, forming pockets where bacteria collect. This can lead to bone or tooth loss. Your dentist may recommend deep teeth cleaning.

Deep Cleaning Is an Investment

Deep cleaning is a much more extensive process than routine teeth cleaning. Your deep teeth cleaning cost is more expensive, but the investment you make now can save you even more significant costs later. The side effects of severe gum disease and inflammation can lead to the need for treatments such as:

• Bone grafts
• Gum grafts
• Dentures
• Infection running through your body from untreated tooth infections

A deep teeth cleaning has two parts that include:

• Scaling, removal of plaque and tartar above and below the gum line
• Root planing, smoothing out tooth roots, which helps gums reattach to teeth

While routine teeth cleaning is usually not painful, deep teeth cleaning may cause sensitivity that lasts for several days after the cleaning is done. A local anesthetic may be used to help make you more comfortable. Your restorative dentist also offers the latest in sedation techniques to help you through this procedure if you need it.