Teeth Cleaning in Nashville, TN

Maintaining a beautiful smile requires clean, bright teeth. Properly cleaning your teeth helps keep them looking their best and supports the health of your entire mouth. Even if you stick to your oral hygiene routine, it can be difficult to keep your teeth free of plaque and tartar buildup. That challenge is why many dentists offer professional dental cleaning services.

What Are Professional Teeth Cleanings?

Brushing and flossing your teeth is vital to keeping them healthy. However, there are areas of your mouth that can be hard to reach with traditional cleaning methods. As a result, bacteria flourish in these areas, growing and spreading until it begins damaging your enamel.

Dental professionals can identify and find these problem areas. In addition, they perform dental cleanings with tools specifically designed to clean the places that toothbrushes and floss can’t reach.

Dental cleanings eliminate the bacteria that cause tartar and plaque before it has a chance to wear away at your enamel. In the long run, you’ll save money with dental cleanings because they help prevent problems that require expensive and advanced procedures to resolve.

In addition, some of the things you consume can leave behind residue that stains your teeth. For example, soda, coffee, cigarettes, wine, and heavily dyed foods can all alter the color of your teeth. Professional dental cleanings can help break up some of this staining.

It would be best to have your teeth professionally cleaned twice a year. If you maintain adequate oral hygiene, follow the dentist’s recommendations, and watch what you eat or drink between cleanings, it’s possible to keep your teeth bright and healthy.

What Happens During a Dental Cleaning?

Dental cleanings start with an oral exam. A dental hygienist will examine your entire mouth to ensure that there aren’t any health issues that would interfere with or worsen by the cleaning. If a problem is discovered, the hygienist will consult with your general dentist to help resolve the issue.

The hygienist will begin your cleaning by removing hard mineral buildup, plaque, and tartar with a small scraping tool called a scaler along with an ultrasonic scaler). Once the plaque and tartar have been removed, we will use a high-powered electric toothbrush and a gritty prophylactic paste to gently polish the surface of your teeth. The paste contains abrasive compounds that scour any residue and rough surfaces from your enamel.

As soon as your teeth are thoroughly polished, the hygienist will finish up by flossing between your teeth to remove any debris the initial cleaning would’ve missed. Finally, they will ( offer you a fluoride application in order to strengthen the enamel on the outside of your teeth have you wash your mouth with a fluoride rinse to kill any remaining bacteria, strengthen your teeth, and freshen your breath.

How Long Does A Professional Dental Cleaning Take?

Dental cleanings can take anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour. Staying on top of oral hygiene means cleaning will go much quicker. And your hygienist will want to take their time and be thorough with your oral exam and cleaning.

When your cleaning is finished, the hygienist will take the time to explain preventative measures to keep your teeth clean and healthy and recommend any over-the-counter products you can use between in-office cleanings. Finally, they may schedule an appointment for a follow-up exam performed by them or your general dentist.

What is the Cost of Professional Dental Cleaning?

Because dental cleanings are considered a necessary part of preventative dental care, most insurance policies will cover biannual cleanings. Be sure to check your insurance coverage before scheduling a cleaning.

Schedule a Professional Dental Cleaning to Keep Your Teeth Healthy

While brushing and flossing are vital for oral hygiene, it is still necessary to regularly see your dentist for a professional cleaning. That’s why the team at Poff Dental Associates places a premium on cleanliness and educating patients. In addition, our office emphasizes comfort for everyone who comes in, and we’re proud to have served our community with exceptional dental care.
We want you to have the clean, healthy smile that you deserve. So please, contact us for more information or to schedule an appointment.