Dentists recommend dental cleanings for improved oral health. Dental cleanings can help prevent severe oral and dental issues like cavities and gum disease when performed at least twice a year. They remove stuck foods from the teeth and any buildups that could encourage the growth of harmful bacteria. General dentists who perform dental cleanings are gentle on the teeth and use safe products to protect your natural teeth, particularly the enamel.
However, some believe dental cleanings damage teeth enamel, mainly when performed regularly. It helps to understand how dentists perform these cleanings, the pros and cons, and what to expect when answering your concerns about professional dental cleanings. A skilled general dentist can also help.
Dental Cleanings are Beneficial
Dentists make oral health recommendations that keep natural teeth healthy, strong, beautiful, and functional. In addition to brushing and flossing your teeth daily, dentists recommend regular visits to the office for checkups and dental examinations. They also recommend professional dental cleanings at least twice a year. These cleanings can be performed during your regular visits to the dentist. They remove all stuck food particles from your mouth, especially in areas that are difficult to reach during regular brushing and flossing. This discourages the growth of harmful bacteria that cause tooth decay and other severe conditions like gum disease.
Dental cleanings are beneficial in many ways. For example, they help prevent cavities. Cavities occur when you fail to care for your teeth, primarily through what you eat and how you clean them. People who regularly consume sugary and starchy foods are at risk of cavities because harmful bacteria thrive under such conditions. Stuck foods in the mouth, gums, and teeth could also encourage the growth of harmful bacteria. The bacteria combine with stuck foods, especially the sugars and starches, to produce an acid buildup on teeth and gums. The buildup of tartar damages the cavity over time, resulting in a cavity.
Dental cleaning also minimizes tooth loss. When one or more of your teeth develop cavities because of stuck foods in your teeth and gums, they could be difficult for the dentist to save. This occurs in cases where you do not seek treatment for a cavity until your tooth is severely affected. Dental cleanings also prevent gum disease, one of the leading causes of tooth loss. Gum disease occurs when you develop an infection in your gums. The infection causes your gums to recede, exposing your teeth’ roots and removing your natural teeth' support.
Stuck foods in your mouth and teeth also result in bad breath. The problem could be severe if you have a cavity or oral infection. Bad breath affects how you socialize, severely impacting your confidence. People who regularly go for dental cleanings enjoy fresher breaths. This keeps you smiling and confident for a very long time. It also keeps your teeth white and your smile beautiful.
Dental cleanings brighten your smile because they remove any stains that could have accumulated on your teeth. Teeth staining is another issue that affects many people. Your teeth can stain if you enjoy beverages like coffee, tea, wine, or colorful fruits. Once your teeth start staining, they take away your confidence and self-esteem. Stained teeth could also encourage the growth of harmful bacteria, resulting in more severe issues like cavities and gum disease. Dental cleanings remove all stains from your teeth to brighten your smile and boost your confidence.
Are Dental Cleanings Safe For Your Teeth?
Dentists encourage professional dental cleanings because of the benefits they offer. During dental cleanings, the dental hygienist removes all buildup from your teeth and gums, including tartar and plaque that could have accumulated over time. Plaque develops on your teeth and gums when you eat. It is a soft film that could develop into a more harmful buildup if left uncleaned. It occurs when stuck foods combine with oral bacteria to produce an acidic substance.
When plaque hardens, it develops into tartar, a more damaging substance, especially to the enamel. Tartar gradually attacks enamel, resulting in cavities. It could also cause inflammation in your gums, which later develops into gum disease.
Dentists encourage brushing your teeth after every meal, or at least twice daily, to prevent this buildup on your teeth and gums. However, brushing is not always an effective way to remove stuck foods from the teeth and gums. Some difficult-to-reach areas become perfect breeding grounds for harmful bacteria. Thus, maintaining good oral hygiene habits is challenging to prevent cavities and gum disease. You must combine these habits with dental cleanings to achieve the desired results.
While the benefits of dental cleanings can be explained clearly by your dentist during your regular visits to their office, some myths could discourage you from enjoying these benefits. Examples of these myths include the following:
Dental Hygienists Damage Tooth Enamel
Some people believe dental hygienists damage your enamel during these cleanings. Remember that the enamel is the strongest outer part of your teeth. It protects the teeth and their underlying structures from damage by external factors. The enamel is strong and difficult to stain. Thus, it keeps your teeth functional and beautiful.
However, some myths suggest dental hygienists weaken the enamel when removing stains and buildup during dental cleanings. This could happen if the teeth are severely stained or have more buildup because more energy or force is needed to remove tartar and other stains completely.
However, this remains a myth because enamel is solid and vital for years, even after all the pressure of biting and chewing. Additionally, enamel comprises various minerals, continually rebuilding it to keep it solid and beautiful. The enamel remineralizes to restore what it could have lost during dental cleanings or after dental erosion. Thus, you can still enjoy solid and attractive teeth for years, even with regular dental cleanings. Since remineralization of the enamel happens continually, it is difficult to damage it. You must provide the minerals the enamel requires to restore what it loses daily.
Chemicals Used in Dental Cleanings Damage the Enamel
Another common misconception about dental cleanings is that dentists use enamel-damaging chemicals to remove stains and buildups and remove stuck food particles from teeth and gums. Some people believe that these chemicals weaken the enamel, causing it to suffer severe damage over time. The truth is that dentists are careful with anything they use to clean your teeth during professional teeth cleanings. They use safe products to protect your teeth, gums, oral health, and overall well-being. For example, dentists use pumice stones to polish your teeth and remove stains. They also use gritty and other substances that look like sandpaper to remove buildups and smoothen your teeth.
These products are safe for your teeth, particularly the enamel. After cleaning your teeth, your dentist can apply fluoride to strengthen and remineralize the enamel. Fluoride also discourages the growth of cavity-causing bacteria. Thus, you do not have a reason to worry about enamel damage after professional teeth cleaning.
Professional Teeth Cleaning Has Unsafe Side Effects
Some people do not go for dental cleanings because they fear it could have adverse side effects on their teeth, gums, and other parts of their mouth. For example, they are afraid it could be painful or leave them feeling sore around the gum and teeth for days or weeks after the cleanings. However, this should not be an issue of concern because these adverse side effects do not exist. Although you will experience soreness after dental cleanings, the feeling should disappear after a few hours. You should be able to drink, eat, speak, and use your mouth after treatment as you did before the procedure.
People who are generally afraid of undergoing dental procedures because of the pain and discomfort could be skeptical about dental cleanings. However, the pros outweigh the cons. The main benefit is that professional teeth cleaning safely removes bacteria and plaque that cause severe dental problems, including gum disease and cavities. If left uncleaned, plaque can continuously build and spread to your other teeth, putting you at risk of tooth loss. Although you can keep your teeth clean at home through brushing and flossing daily, professional cleaning is necessary as it reaches some difficult-to-reach areas in your mouth.
Protecting Your Enamel From Damage After Dental Cleanings
You can experience enamel damage even after maintaining regular dental cleanings. If you are worried about this, it helps to know some of the elements that could cause it and how to protect yourself. A skilled dentist should be able to explain some of the dos and don'ts that will keep your enamel strong and unchanged for a long time after dental cleanings. Remember that the enamel gives your natural teeth the sparkle that brightens your smile and enhances your confidence. Thus, you must continue caring for it for excellent oral health, a beautiful smile, and improved self-esteem. Here are some of the ways you can protect your enamel from damage:
Avoiding Harmful Habits Like Teeth Grinding
Some people habitually grind or clench their teeth without knowing the harm they cause their enamel. Although enamel is the most vital element in the human body, such habits can weaken it. Sadly, teeth grinding, or bruxism, is a habit that many people struggle with.
However, dentists have solutions that could protect your teeth and help you overcome the habit. For example, your dentist can advise you to wear a mouthguard at night if you habitually grind or clench your teeth while sleeping. Bruxism results in enamel erosion, eventually exposing a tooth’s inner structures.
The second layer of your teeth, after the enamel (the dentin), is highly stained. Thus, enamel erosion can permanently change the appearance of your natural teeth.
Avoiding Harmful Brushing Techniques
Safe brushing is a technique that everyone must master to protect their teeth and ensure they remain clean throughout their lifetime. Sadly, some people damage their teeth and gums without realizing it. Dentists recommend soft-bristled toothbrushes and fluoride-based toothpaste for your daily oral habits. If you continually use hard-bristled toothbrushes, you could eventually harm your enamel, exposing the dentin and your teeth’s underlying structures.
After enamel erosion, you could experience sensitivity and pain, especially when brushing your teeth or biting. Your teeth could also start staining, especially if you love coffee, tea, red wine, or other teeth-staining foods and beverages.
Reduce Your Consumption of Acidic Foods
Acidic foods and drinks, like berries, apples, and fruit juices, are the leading causes of enamel erosion. Even a vital element like enamel can be damaged by strong acids. When some of the acids from these foods and drinks remain in the mouth, they weaken the enamel over time. Eventually, it wears down, putting you at risk of cavities and stained teeth.
Dentists recommend consumption of acidic foods and beverages in moderation. You must brush your teeth after consuming foods and drinks that put your enamel at risk of erosion. Additionally, brushing after every meal or twice daily discourages the growth of harmful bacteria. Remember that when oral bacteria combine with stuck foods and drinks in the mouth, it causes a reaction that produces harmful acids that attack the enamel.
Avoiding Some Medications
Some medications, like antihistamines and aspirin, cause enamel erosion if taken regularly. They can affect your teeth's appearance with time. Your dentist can warn you against such medication to protect the health and appearance of your natural teeth. If you must take these medications, you must exercise moderation to avoid eventual damage.
Find Competent Dental Care Services Near Me
Dentists recommend dental cleanings as a habit that keeps teeth and gums healthy. Professional teeth cleaning offers several benefits, including improved appearance and prevention of cavities and gum disease. It is a safe procedure that helps preserve natural teeth.
If you want to learn more about dental cleanings in Encino, including how they are done and the benefits, our competent general dentists at Lasting Impressions Dental Spa can help. We have extensive experience offering professional teeth cleaning and other dental care procedures designed to improve your smile and the functionality of your teeth. Call us at 818-751-5100 to discuss your concerns with dental cleanings, dental needs, and our services.
