How should a professional dental cleaning be carried out? When is it advisable to book a session, and why is it so important not to skip your appointment with the dental hygienist?
Although many people think otherwise, a professional dental cleaning is not a cosmetic procedure but a genuine therapeutic treatment: it keeps plaque formation under control and helps prevent problems such as periodontitis (the chronic inflammation of the tissues around the teeth which, if neglected, can lead to tooth loss and other serious diseases) and tooth decay.
How often sessions are held and how they are carried out must take into account the patient’s clinical picture, and in any case a session cannot take less than 45–60 minutes. This is the minimum time needed not only to remove plaque thoroughly but also to achieve other important results.
Dental hygiene sessions, in fact, have two further aims:
1) Catching disease at the earliest stages: the dental hygienist or dentist carrying out the session can recognise the first signs of tooth decay, periodontal disease and other oral conditions at a stage when the patient usually does not yet know there is a problem.
2) Patient motivation: the dental hygienist and dentist not only explain how to improve hygiene at home, but also give advice on specific products that can help with different clinical situations (mouthwashes, toothpastes, medicines and so on), as well as on how to correct habits and lifestyles that harm your smile.
The instruments used by the dental hygienist must be single-use or sterilised in an autoclave and sealed in sterile pouches.
A couple of sessions a year are generally recommended, but more may be needed, for example for heavy smokers or diabetic patients.
Unfortunately, partly because of the economic crisis, people tend to put off their appointment with the dentist or dental hygienist, or they choose the lowest price, believing that twenty minutes of treatment are enough for a dental cleaning.
As well as being ineffective, hurried and superficial dental cleaning sessions can damage enamel and gums, and they do not allow any oral disease to be recognised and diagnosed early.
Back from your holidays, don’t neglect the health of your mouth: book your professional dental cleaning at our clinic as soon as possible. It is the best way to face the coming autumn with a dazzling smile!
