The Importance of Professional Dental Cleanings

Routine dental cleanings take about a couple hours every year. Yet when those appointments roll around, plenty of people wind up skipping them. After all, you brush regularly and your teeth feel fine — why bother going to the dentist?

The fact is, while regular brushing and flossing are really important for keeping your teeth and gums healthy, they’re no substitute for a professional cleaning at A to Z Dental Studio. Here are five reasons why regular professional cleanings with Hiba Zakhour, DDS, and her team are so important for your healthy smile.

#1: Preventing gum disease

Preventing gum disease — and the tooth loss it causes — is a big reason why you need to have regular professional cleanings. Professional dental cleaning uses special tools and techniques to scrape away hardened deposits of tartar and sticky plaque, harbors for disease-causing bacteria.

Without professional cleanings, those bacteria invade the deeper pockets around the tooth roots, causing infection, bone deterioration, and eventual tooth loss. Tartar can’t be removed with brushing and flossing — you need professional cleaning techniques to remove deposits that form at and below the gum line.

#2: Polishing teeth surfaces

Coffee, tea, red wine, chocolate — all these and plenty of other foods and drinks leave teeth looking dull and dingy. Once your teeth are clean and free of tartar and plaque, the hygienist uses a special abrasive to gently remove surface stains and leave your teeth looking and feeling clean and fresh.

#3: Preventing cavities

No toothache means no cavities, right? Not necessarily. In their earliest stages, very small or “shallow” cavities might not cause any pain. 

During your regular cleaning appointment, Dr. Zakhour will check your teeth for cavities or “weak spots” that might need a little extra attention. She may also take X-rays so she can look for potential problems below your gums or inside your teeth.

#4: Improving home care

Home care — regular brushing and flossing — keeps your teeth and gums healthy between visits. But plenty of us aren’t using the right technique or need a little guidance to make sure we’re removing as much plaque and food particles as possible.

During your visit, Dr. Zakhour and the hygienist will look for areas where brushing and flossing efforts might be falling short. Then, they’ll provide guidance and tips to help you improve your technique — and your results.

#5: Screening for cancer

Every year in the United States, more than 50,000 Americans are diagnosed with oral cancers and more than 15,000 people die from the disease. Oral cancer screenings are typically performed once or twice each year during your routine cleaning appointments. 

Dr. Zakhour checks your gums, palate, and other soft tissues for subtle signs that could denote cancer in its earliest — and most treatable — stage. 

Don’t skip your cleanings

Two annual cleanings take about two hours total — a small investment of time for a lifetime of healthier teeth and gums. To schedule your cleaning at our Fairfax, Virginia office, call A to Z Dental at 571-290-7035 or book an appointment online today.