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Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Prophylaxis? That’s Just Basic Dental Cleaning

Brushing one's teeth and flossing regularly are proper ways to take care of one's set of pearly whites. However, it is only one part of the entire dental health maintenance process, as there needs to be a routine dental checkup for proper and thorough teeth assessment. Patients must visit their dentists at least once every six months to check the condition of their teeth and gums. The dentist may then proceed with prophylaxis, which is basically teeth cleaning; removing plaque and tartar from the hard-to-reach areas in the mouth.
 
The dentist first tries to remove the larger deposits of tartar on the teeth using an ultrasonic device. Most tartar and plaque buildup may already be removed through this and only need to be rinsed away with water. After this treatment comes the use of a dental scaler, which is a handheld tool with a hook-shaped end, for a deeper clean. A scaler can effectively dislodge remaining small tartar or plaque buildup as well as stains, thereby giving you cleaner, whiter teeth.

Upon the general cleaning of the teeth comes the polishing process. Basically, the dentist polishes the teeth using prophylaxis paste and a rubber cleaning device to buff up one's teeth. In some cases, fluoride treatment is also given to strengthen the patient's teeth. After thorough rinsing, the dental prophylaxis treatment is complete.

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