Hi, Dr. Dayanayev here. We get a lot of questions about dental hygiene and dental cleaning. Today, we're going to answer some of those most common questions that we receive.
What is proper dental hygiene?
Proper dental hygiene involves maintaining oral care at home. You should be flossing and brushing your teeth. The question is, how long should it take? Brushing should take about 2 minutes—one minute for the top and one minute for the bottom. This applies to people who are otherwise healthy.
If you have gum disease and your gums are bleeding, it should take longer, not shorter. This is what you can do at home. You should also be cared for by a dental hygienist, who will help make your at-home work easier. Regardless of whether you brush your teeth or not, you will eventually start developing tartar or biofilm. If you don't remove it in time, it will harden. A dental hygienist can help remove everything from your teeth and identify areas in your mouth that need more attention.
What can happen if I don't practice good oral hygiene?
The number one issue is that you are keeping bacteria in your mouth. If a normal person has this much bacteria in their body, you have much more because they flourish in a warm, moist mouth with food. Bacteria thrive in such an environment. You want to get rid of them because they can enter your bloodstream through blood vessels in your mouth and travel through your entire body. The first stop for bacteria entering your blood vessels is your heart, where they can do a lot of damage. A hygienist can help you get rid of this bacteria.
What are the main duties of a dental hygienist?
A dental hygienist helps by taking x-rays, pictures, and scans. They are the first ones to perform the cleaning. While cleaning, they can see which of your habits are helpful and where you are deficient, addressing these areas and advising you on how to improve. They can help change your behavior for the better.
What is involved in a dental clinic?
The process involves a patient and the hygienist, who will clean your mouth. It doesn't happen without your participation. Many patients are scared and don't want to go to the dentist, especially if they're embarrassed about not having had a cleaning or proper hygiene visits in a while. Don't be embarrassed. All you need is the first step—come in. We have seen it all. Don't worry, you're not going to be embarrassed. Come in and we will help you out. This is the first step. From there, your entire life will improve.
What kind of tools do dental hygienists use?
There are different categories of tools. Hygienists use hand tools to scrape teeth, usually for hardened biofilm or calculus. They use a vibrating electric instrument that moves around the teeth, often with water spraying to clean them. It's like a power wash with a vibrating tool. Finally, they use a polishing cup with special paste to polish your teeth. After that, they may apply a fluoride treatment to make your teeth less soluble and less susceptible to decay.
Does hygienist teeth cleaning usually hurt?
The truth is, it doesn't have to hurt. When done properly, it is not painful. Some people are more sensitive to the cold water spray. If that is the case, they can use a gel to help. For patients who are very afraid and don't want to feel anything, injections can be given to prevent any sensation.
How long should a typical dental cleaning take?
The cleaning itself, without x-rays, should take about 20 minutes. It can take longer depending on how much cleaning is needed. Between 20 minutes and an hour is typical.
Why would deep cleaning be necessary?
The space between the gum and the tooth is not where they actually connect; there's a space called a pocket. Depending on the size of these pockets, cleaning might be needed just where the gum connects to the tooth or deeper inside. This requires a deeper cleaning.
At Steinway Family Dental Center, your dental health is our priority. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to call our team at (718) 728-3314, or you can email us at [email protected]. Our staff would love to talk with you!