You have thousands of naturally occurring bacteria in your mouth that live on your teeth and tongue and share the same food that you ingest. When you brush and floss your teeth on a regular basis, you remove this bacteria from your mouth, but the only way to completely eliminate the bacteria is through professional dental cleanings near you. At Mirage Dental Arts, we offer four kinds of dental cleanings in Kendall. Read more to learn about how each type of dental cleaning can help you.
#1 Prophylaxis Dental Cleaning
Prophylaxis is a word meaning “to prevent disease.” As such, these dental cleanings are the routine dental cleanings performed by our dentist in South Miami to prevent healthy teeth from becoming affected by oral health conditions such as gum disease and tooth decay.
During a prophylaxis cleaning, our dentist will remove plaque and tartar from the front, back, and both sides of your teeth using a dental scaler and water. In most cases, patients only need to get a prophylaxis cleaning, especially if they have maintained an excellent oral hygiene routine of brushing twice daily and flossing once daily, as well as visiting Mirage Dental Arts bi-annually for professional dental cleanings and checkups.
#2 Root Planing and Scaling
Also known as deep cleanings, scaling and root planings are used to remove plaque and tartar from the teeth and gums to treat gum diseases such as gingivitis and periodontitis. Depending on your condition, your deep cleaning can take you to several appointments.
Scaling is the process that removes tartar and plaque from the surface of your teeth and in the pockets in your gum line that form due to periodontal disease. This both removes bacteria and reduces gum inflammation. Root planing smooths down your tooth roots, allowing your gums to reattach to your teeth and eliminating gum pockets.
#3 Periodontal Maintenance Cleanings
These dental cleanings are another method utilized by your dentist in Kendall to treat gum disease. Like root planing and scaling, these dental cleanings in South Miami remove excess plaque and tartar from gum pockets and the tooth surfaces and then smooth out the tooth roots if needed. The main difference between periodontal maintenance cleanings and root planing and scaling is that periodontal maintenance cleanings are usually performed more often and are meant to slow the progression of gum disease.
#4 Gross Debridement Cleanings
These are the most heavy-duty dental cleanings and are designed to clean teeth with large amounts of plaque and tartar. These cleanings are usually performed on individuals who have avoided visiting the dentist for a significant amount of time. When left alone, plaque hardens into tartar and calculus, which becomes increasingly difficult to remove the longer it is left untreated. During a gross debridement cleaning, our dentist near you will use an electrical tool to loosen tartar and effectively remove it. They will then perform a prophylaxis cleaning to completely remove any harmful bacteria.
Visit Mirage Dental Arts
As you can tell, there are many options for dental cleanings based on your individual needs. While all of these dental cleanings have the same goal: to give you a cleaner mouth and help you maintain optimal oral health, each uses a slightly different approach. At Mirage Dental Arts, we are happy to offer all four types of dental cleanings to our patients so that they can enjoy a healthy and strong smile for years to come. Please contact us to book a consultation today!