Dental Hygiene and Why It's Important
Hello. My name is Dr. Mayra Modesto-Garrido, and I'm here to answer questions about dental hygiene.
What is proper dental hygiene?
This is a question that a lot of patients ask me. What is proper dental hygiene? Proper dental hygiene involves taking good care of your gums and bone support to maintain health.
What can happen if I don't practice good dental hygiene?
If you don't maintain good dental hygiene, many things could occur. You could experience inflammation in your gums, bad breath, and mobility in your teeth. That's why we recommend our patients visit the office and maintain a good relationship with the hygienist to stay healthy.
What are the main duties of a dental hygienist?
The duties of a dental hygienist are frequently inquired about. Essentially, their responsibility is to keep your gums healthy. When you visit every six months as a healthy patient, the hygienist will review your medical history to ensure everything is fine, verify your medication if any, and discuss your brushing and eating habits. We focus on these aspects to ensure our patients' health. By doing so, we can perform your dental cleaning if needed.
What kind of tools do dental hygienists use?
In our practice, we use various tools to clean teeth. For a healthy patient coming for prophylaxis, which involves polishing their teeth, we use instruments to remove plaque. We can also use scaling cavitrons to remove calculus, which is a hardened plaque that can't be removed with a toothbrush.
Does a dental cleaning hurt?
Cleaning the teeth typically doesn't hurt. If a more involved procedure is necessary, we can use anesthetic to make the process more pleasant for the patient.
How long should a typical dental cleaning take?
This is another question that patients ask: How long will I be at the office? For a dental hygiene appointment, we reserve an hour. This means that from the moment you sit in the chair, speak with the hygienist, and have your cleaning, you'll be out of the office in about one hour.
Why is a deep cleaning by a dental hygienist necessary?
Deep cleaning is another topic patients inquire about. A deep cleaning involves numbing the area to be cleaned and using special tools to remove calculus that irritates your gums, causing bleeding, and reducing bone support. By performing a deep cleaning, we can prevent these issues and keep you healthy.
Is it necessary to do anything after a dental cleaning?
After your dental cleaning, it's important to maintain good home care. By brushing and flossing regularly, you can keep the results of our work intact at home. Good hygiene practices at home help maintain healthy gums and a lasting smile.
How should I schedule a dental hygiene appointment?
At Excel Dentistry, your dental health is our priority. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to call our team at (551) 383-4441, or you can email us at [email protected]. Our staff would love to talk with you!