If you want to keep your smile bright and your breath fresh while also enhancing and supporting your overall health, regular dental cleanings are a vital but sometimes overlooked way to do so.

At Oval Dental Clinic Dubai, we prioritise your health when planning your treatment plan. While broad concepts apply to all patients, everyone is unique and may require a somewhat different treatment.

Here’s our best advice on how often you should get your teeth cleaned and what those cleanings should include. 

How Frequently Should You Get Your Teeth Cleaned?

Professional teeth cleaning helps prevent tooth decay and gum disease, typically performed by dentists or hygienists during routine checkups. The American Dental Association recommends regular cleanings, often every six months, but frequency should be based on individual risk factors like gum disease, diabetes, or smoking. While some studies suggest biannual visits may not always yield significant benefits, personalized dental care is crucial. Socioeconomic factors also impact oral health, as those without insurance or financial resources face higher risks of cavities and gum disease, highlighting the importance of accessible dental care.

What happens during a dental cleaning?

The teeth cleaning technique may differ across practitioners, but the following are the fundamental steps of a teeth cleaning visit. The entire operation often takes less than an hour. If you have sensitive teeth, apply a little numbing agent to the teeth and gums before beginning.

Cleaning

This process, also known as scaling, removes tartar and plaque from your teeth. Your dentist or dental hygienist will clean the hardest-to-reach areas of your mouth with sophisticated equipment that scrape away tough plaque. They will also clean the gaps between your teeth using specialised flossing techniques and instruments.

The hygienist may utilise a Prophy-Jet to remove plaque, soft debris, and stains. They will rinse your mouth at the conclusion. 

Polishing

Next, your teeth are polished. Your dentist uses a spinning head and dental paste to get your teeth as clean as possible.

Fluoride Treatment

To prevent cavities, your dentist or dental hygienist may apply a fluoride treatment to your teeth. This fluoride treatment could be a paste, gel, or varnish.

At the end of the cleaning, they may discuss appropriate dental hygiene and offer products to keep your teeth healthy at home. 

Other potential steps:

Professional tooth cleanings are planned twice a year, whereas X-rays are often performed once a year. Still, depending on what your dentist or dental hygienist finds in your mouth, they may perform further exams during your visit. For children, a dentist may recommend molar sealants to help prevent cavities in hard-to-brush places.

Whether you require any further steps or not, the goal is to continue visiting the dentist for regular dental cleanings to avoid problems completely. Understanding what’s going on ahead of time will put you at rest – and may even make you look forward to these meetings. 

How long can you go without getting your teeth cleaned?

You should visit your dentist at least once a year for an annual checkup. In most cases, your teeth will be cleaned at this session. It is not recommended that you skip the annual exam.

Good dental care can help you avoid cavities and lower your risk of gum disease. This can mean that you don’t need to visit the dentist as frequently because you have fewer dental issues to address.

How should I care for my teeth in between dental cleanings?

The greatest approach to keep your teeth healthy in between cleanings is to maintain regular oral hygiene. This includes cleaning your teeth for two minutes, twice a day, and flossing once a day. Learn proper brushing and flossing practices.

Why do you require dental cleanings?

We’re sure you all follow the American Dental Association’s advice to clean your teeth twice a day, floss once a day, and avoid sugary meals.

Here’s the thing: Even if you strictly adhere to these guidelines (and, let’s be honest, even the best of us have bad days), you still require professional dental cleanings. Even with the healthiest of diets, plaque and tartar inevitably accumulate on your teeth. Plaque is soft for a few hours, but as it hardens into tartar, it becomes much more difficult to remove off the teeth. That is why brushing your teeth twice a day is so vital.

Some plaque and tartar buildup occurs regardless of what you do, therefore you need expert dental hygienists with advanced instruments and techniques to remove it before it causes gum illnesses such as gingivitis and periodontitis.

Regular cleanings and exams also allow your dentist to detect any growing problems — such as tooth decay, the aforementioned gum disorders, or oral cancer — while they are still small and easily treatable.

If you don’t discover these problems early on, the solutions can be costly and time-consuming. Additionally, the health repercussions can be disastrous.

Why Choose Oval Dental Clinic?

Oval Dental Clinic stands out as a leading dental clinic in Dubai for many reasons:

• Expertise and Experience: Our skilled team delivers world-class results in dentistry Dubai is known for.
• Advanced Technology: From digital impressions to laser dentistry, we use cutting-edge tools to ensure precision and comfort.
• Personalized Care: Every treatment is tailored to your needs, making us a top choice for cosmetic dental treatment.

Contact us today and take the first step towards the smile you’ve always desired. At Oval Dental Clinic, your confidence and happiness are our priorities!