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Dental Cleaning: A Family Affair

Author: Ornella Total views: 5 Word Count: 474

You make sure that your family has good dental cleaning habits. You brush twice a day, for at least five minutes in scrupulous circles, zoning in on specific geographic regions of the mouth. You floss with the latest, most technologically advanced dental tape. You even buy your family the newest fad in contoured toothbrushes, just to reach those hard-to-get spaces in between.

Part of this bare minimum includes making sensible food choices. Any foods that augment muscle and bone growth are generally recommended for teeth and gums. A common sense diet rich in B Vitamins, calcium, manganese, zinc, Vitamin C is recommended, while excess glucose (and other sugars) should be avoided.

You do your homework, and you provide your children with calcium-rich foods that are not too high in sugars. You stock the pantry with cereals and grains high in B Vitamins. You make consistently sensible food choices, because you know that any foods that augment muscle and bone growth are generally recommended for teeth and gums.

Routine dental cleanings are your first line of defense against oral cancers, gum disease, ulceration, and easily avoidable oral health problems such as bad breath (halitosis), gingivitis, tartar (calculus) buildup, and tooth decay. While brushing and flossing alone can remove as much as 70% of the plaque on your teeth, the other 30% lurks in areas that are harder to reach, and professional cleanings are the most sensible preventive medicine.

The American Dental Association (ADA) used to recommend that a child get their first dental cleaning at the age of three. But the recent wave of cavities in children entering kindergarten has forced the ADA to redefine their guidelines, and now most dentists recommend an initial visit to the dentist shortly after the eruption of the first teeth, which takes place during the first year.

A professional dental cleaning usually comes in three garden varieties: scaling, root planning, and polishing. Scaling is simply the removal of plaque, and traditionally it involved scraping the excess tartar from the teeth using dental instruments, and was done manually. However, recent technological advancements have increased the scope of scaling, and scaling can now be done electrically, ultrasonically, or with lasers.

Root planning is basically gum work, the cleaning of pockets to prevent further development of periodontal or gum disease. When gums are inflamed, the pockets tend to become deeper, making it much easier for them to trap plaque deposits, further worsening the condition of the gums. Root planning can sometimes be a painful process requiring local anesthesia.

People with heart problems or diabetes need to consult their physician before undergoing certain types of procedures related to dental cleanings, but don't let your fear of the dentist override your common sense. A cleaning today (or twice yearly) can stave off severe oral health problems tomorrow.

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About the Author

Ornella actually knows what she is talking about. You can find more about bleeding gums and dental hygiene here.

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