Professional Dental Cleaning: The First Step to Healthy Teeth and Gums

Are you among the 100 million Americans who skipped a dental cleaning this year? Dental cleanings can be easy to push to the bottom of your schedule — especially during all that’s going on due to the COVID-19 global pandemic. 

But at Avalon Dental in San Ramon, California, Dr. Cliff Broschinsky and our professional care team know that professional cleanings are the first step toward healthy teeth and gums. Dental cleanings are an important part of our general dentistry services. 

Because of the importance of professional dental cleanings, we’re committed to helping our patients better understand why it’s essential to maintain your bi-annual cleanings if you want a healthy mouth.

How do professional cleanings boost my dental health?

You may brush and floss regularly, but unless you’re getting regular professional cleanings, you’re missing out on the opportunity to optimize your dental health. Here are the top ways professional cleanings help keep your teeth and gums healthy:

Halt tooth decay

There’s a sticky film that can build up on your teeth called dental plaque. It’s full of harmful bacteria that attack your teeth’s enamel and gums. 

If plaque isn’t fully removed, it causes tartar buildup. Tartar is hardened yellow or brown deposits on your teeth that bond with the enamel, making it difficult to remove without professional dental tools.   

The bacteria in both plaque and tartar produce acids that break down your dental enamel, making your teeth more vulnerable to decay and cavities. When your teeth are professionally cleaned, we’re able to remove plaque and tartar and halt tooth decay. 

Prevent gum disease

You may brush and floss each day, but the spaces where your teeth and gums meet can be challenging to reach at home. This becomes more of an issue as you age when your gum tissue begins to recede. 

When tiny pieces of food and bacteria get stuck in these difficult areas, your risk of gum disease increases. You can help prevent gum disease by getting regular professional cleanings. 

Help detect oral cancer early

When you smoke or use tobacco products or if you drink more than one alcoholic beverage each day, you’re at increased risk for oral cancer. 

Professional dental cleaning at Avalon Dental gives your hygienist the opportunity to examine the condition of your teeth and gums. We look for red, swollen, or ulcerated areas that may indicate oral cancer to ensure you get treatment early if needed.   

Freshen your breath

The bacteria in plaque and tartar contribute to bad breath. Even regular brushing and flossing can’t remove all of the bad-breath causing culprits. 

Your dental hygienist at Avalon Dental cleans what your at-home toothbrush can’t, making your professional cleanings an important part of beating bacteria and freshening your breath.  

Brighten your smile

We all want white, bright smiles. But the foods and liquids we eat and drink create stains on the surfaces of our teeth. If you drink coffee, tea, wine, or carbonated beverages, or if you smoke or use tobacco products, stains develop quickly. 

Professional dental cleanings help remove stains and keep your smile bright. And at Avalon Dental, we offer in-office and at-home teeth whitening for patients looking to get whiter smiles. 

Improve your overall health

It’s easy to see that professional cleanings improve your dental health, but did you know that they also help improve your overall health? Problems and diseases that begin in your mouth can cause inflammation that extends to other parts of your body.

Research indicates good dental health is correlated to a reduced risk of heart disease, heart attack, coronary artery disease, and stroke. If you have diabetes, the disease negatively impacts your ability to fight infections that cause decay and gum disease. Regular dental cleanings can help. 

How do I get a professional dental cleaning?

The American Dental Association recommends professional cleanings two times a year and a routine exam at least once each year. If it’s been longer than that since your last dental cleaning or exam, you’re overdue. 

If that’s the case, the team at Avalon Dental can help you get your teeth back on track. Our office is happy to schedule an exam and a cleaning that works with your schedule. We work with most insurance companies, or, if you don’t have insurance, offer special pricing. 

Professional dental cleanings and exams typically take less than an hour. If our team finds you have an issue that needs more attention, we create a customized treatment plan to meet your needs.  

Ready to take the first step toward healthy teeth and gums? Call Avalon Dental’s San Ramon office or book your professional dental cleaning online now!