Beyond brushing: Why professional cleaning is your key to long-term oral health
THE most common personal dental routine involves brushing teeth twice a day with a toothbrush and toothpaste.
Even though this method has been used for years by many of our ancestors, additional methods to enhance our oral hygiene at a personal level have been introduced.
For example, flossing, the use of a tongue cleanser or scraper and mouthwash.
However, how many individuals are implementing these additional methods?
It has been found that incorporating a floss and mouthwash in your routine can provide the most comprehensive reduction of the free floating and soft plaque bacteria in the mouth potentially reaching 80% to 90%, but it is not 100% and the effect is temporary because one hour after brushing, plaque will begin to accumulate again and the more time spent without brushing, the more bacteria accumulates in the plaque.
An individual can never be plaque free, but rather can reduce the amount of bacterial load in the plaque.
The question is: if the effect is temporary, what is the best solution to incorporate in your dental routine to achieve great results?
The dental clinic is not only a place where you get fillings or a tooth extraction done, but it is also a place that can help you to enhance your oral health’s journey.
Even if you use every brushing and flossing method at your disposal, there are places in the mouth that your toothbrush and floss cannot reach.
At this point, professional oral hygiene or cleaning is effective for this.
Plaque is the main source of our dental problems, besides other environmental factors involved.
Immediately after brushing, the process of plaque formation begins again as mentioned above.
Bacteria in your mouth start to combine with saliva and food particles to create a new sticky film.
By the end of the day, plaque can be a more significant build-up on the surfaces of your teeth.
If plaque is not removed within 24-48 hours , it can start to mineralise and harden into tartar or calculus, which is a stubborn, hardened substance that can only be removed by a dental professional.
Why is professional cleaning important?
Tartar or calculus
Tartar or calculus has the same colour as your teeth, unless it becomes stained that sometimes they may actually look normal, but inside this hardened film, bacteria will be accumulating and eating away the bone leading to tooth mobility, which is irreversible when severe.
Reduction mechanism
To physically remove and dislodge each calculus particle, the dentist utilises hand tools and an ultrasonic scaler.
The population of the most harmful bacteria is significantly reduced, frequently by more than 90%, in those particular places where bacterial strongholds are removed.
Subgingival plaque (below the gumline): Bacteria flourish in spaces between teeth and gums that are not accessible by brushing or flossing.
This is the main reason why gum disease or periodontitis, occurs.
This can be the cause of your gum bleeding even after brushing numerous times.
Reduction mechanism:
The dentist carefully cleans these root surfaces during scale and root planing, a deep cleaning procedure, eliminating the toxins and bacterial biofilm.
By doing this, the subgingival bacterial count can be lowered by 70-90%, promoting gum healing and tooth reattachment.
Additionally, it can help to stop spontaneous gum bleeding.
The “Clean Slate” effect and repopulation
Instant “Reset”: A thorough cleaning results in a “clean slate”.
All of the developed, well-organised bacterial communities (biofilms) are eliminated.
This restores a much healthier state to the mouth environment.
Even after professional dental cleaning bacteria can be found on the sanitised surfaces after a few hours hence professional cleaning is not a substitute of your daily brushing and flossing.
The real long-term benefit: A healthier bacterial balance
The biggest advantage is not just the one-time decrease but also a change in the kind of germs that reappear in your mouth.
Prior to cleaning destructive, anaerobic bacteria (such as Porphyromonas gingivalis and Treponema denticola) that cause inflammation and bone loss are highly prevalent in an unclean mouth with calculus and gingivitis.
After cleaning less pathogenic or disease causing, aerobic bacteria linked to good health are more likely to colonise a tooth with a smooth, clean surface and healthy gums.
Think of it like weeding a garden: By removing all of the deeply ingrained weeds (pathogenic bacteria), professional cleaning increases the growth of the grass (healthier bacteria).
The “lawn mowing” (daily brushing and flossing) will prevent the weeds from taking over again if you take good care of it.
Professional dental cleaning should be performed twice a year, but for people with other systemic conditions or pregnant women, there may need to visit the dentist once in three months.
Professional cleaning is worth the time and money spent, it is every person’s need.
If cost is a constraint you can consider having professional cleaning once a year, but do not ever let a year pass without visiting your dentist.
