How Often Should You Have Your Dental Cleanings?

More Than Just Cleaning Your Teeth

Your hygienist is probably one of the people that you see the most in a dental office. They see you for your cleaning, and thus have the most “hands on” time when it comes to your mouth.

It should come as no surprise then, when hygienists pinpoint undiagnosed medical concerns and diseases that have oral side effects. Health conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, anemia, AIDS/HIV, and cancer are just a few examples of situations that may cause oral side effects that your dental hygienist may observe during an appointment.

Seeing a hygienist regularly doesn’t just keep your teeth healthy – it could save your life!

Regular Tartar Removal

Dental calculus — commonly referred to as “tartar” — is calcified plaque that’s accumulated across teeth and root surfaces (just under the edges of your gums.) Even if you brush and floss daily, some of the areas in your mouth will tend to develop buildup.

Unfortunately, calculus can’t be removed with conventional brushing and flossing. Being that it harbors disease-causing bacteria, tartar buildup will lead to tissue detachment, gum recession, and bone loss.

Seeing a hygienist regularly provides an opportunity to have all of the buildup removed, so that your oral health is easier to maintain. For most healthy individuals, a cleaning is recommended every six months.

However, people with a history of gum disease or who tend to have heavy buildup may need to see their hygienist every 3-4 months.

What’s Involved in a “Cleaning?”

During a prophylactic (preventative) cleaning, which is what most people schedule, your hygienist will use manual scalers and/or an ultrasonic scaler to loosen and remove both hard and soft buildup. The hygienist will typically work from different angles, cleaning surfaces of each teeth from that direction before moving to a different position and cleaning from those angles. This method is for ergonomic and efficiency purposes, but to the average person it can feel as if their hygienist is “skipping around” throughout their mouth.

Once all of the teeth are scaled free of debris, your hygienist will use a soft rubber-cup or air-polisher to polish away surface stains. You’ll have a smoother, brighter surface left behind!

How Often Should I Have a “Cleaning?”

Research states that bacteria recolonizes in your mouth every 90 days, so we would recommend, based on your health, to have a professional cleaning somewhere between every 3-6 months.