Oral hygiene is the most important part of maintaining a healthy smile and preventing future dental problems. Hygiene is a team effort that includes your dental hygienist, dentist, and most importantly, you. In addition to having a dental cleaning twice a year by your hygienist, it is recommended you brush twice and floss once daily. Your ability to keep your teeth clean at home by properly brushing and flossing will go a long way in keeping your smile bright and preventive decay and gum disease.
During your initial visit, your gum tissues will be evaluated to determine what kind of treatment you will need. This examination also happens at every dental cleaning appointment once you are an established as a patient at our office. These visits are called “recare” visits, and include a cleaning from your hygienist, an examination of your teeth and gums by your dentist, and sometimes new x-rays and fluoride treatment may be a part of this visit as well. The following video helps demonstrate what to expect during your visit with the hygienist.
Gingival probing helps evaluate your gum tissues and determine what treatment, if any, is needed to restore them to proper health:
Prophylaxis (cleaning) is indicated when gingivitis is present. When deep pockets and periodontal disease are found during the examination of your gum tissues, a procedure called scaling and root planing is often recommended. This procedure is also commonly referred to as a “deep cleaning”:
