Dental Cleanings

A Prophylaxis also know as a cleaning is a professional cleaning you receive from a dental hygienist. Cleanings should be performed every three to six months to prevent excessive plaque buildup. Plaque left untreated can lead to unhealthy gums and tooth decay. A routine dental cleaning should include scaling and polishing.

Many people think of a teeth cleaning as just the polishing of the tooth enamel above the gum line, but bacteria exist below the gum line, too. The type and frequency of procedure you need to address the bacteria in your mouth depends on the clinical findings of the exam and x-rays.

If Periodontal Disease is present then a deeper cleaning referred to as Scaling and Root Planing willlbe recommended.

Scaling and root planing is the process of removing plaque and tartar from all tooth surfaces with a variety of methods, depending on the amount of plaque and tartar. Dental hygienists traditionally perform scaling by hand. However, new and advanced technology has led to more modern methods such as electric scalers. Both electric and manual scaling methods can be combined to achieve the best results.

Periodontal disease is a systemic disease like diabetes that requires careful monitoring. Usually, following Scaling and Root Planing a periodontal maintenance will be necessary every 3 monhts.

At Tumminia Dental we educate our patients in preventing periodontal disease and reinforce the best home care.

Request an appointment today, or call us at (561) 736-1900