You might be familiar with the term “dental cleaning” from your regular visits to the dentist’s office. Along with daily brushing and flossing, your six-month dental cleanings are essential to keeping your mouth safe from the hundreds of kinds of oral bacteria that comprise dental plaque. If these germs have an opportunity to begin their damage by the time Dr. Zelby inspects your oral health, then you may need more involved attention than a regular cleaning. A periodontal cleaning is known as a deep cleaning because it’s more detailed than regular dental maintenance, involving the removal of harmful substances from underneath your gum line to treat and prevent gum disease. Your Atlanta dentist, Dr. David Zelby, explains what a dental cleaning entails and how it helps protect your oral health from the progressive destruction of gum disease.
When Bacterial Plaque Attacks
The sticky stuff that sometimes coats your teeth and gums is called dental plaque, and while its presence can be annoying, its real danger lies in what you don’t notice. There are over 600 different kinds of bacteria in a healthy human mouth that form plaque when they congregate. Some of these microbes release toxins that irritate your periodontal tissue (gums), causing them to separate from your teeth and form pockets where more germs can gather. The bacterial strain, Porphyromonas gingivalis, is also known to manipulate your immune system, leading to excessive inflammation and sometimes bleeding along your gums. These symptoms are a warning that gingivitis, the beginning stage of gum disease, is present, and you must take action to prevent the destruction that aggressive gum disease can cause.
Preventing/Controlling Gum Disease
The beauty of early detection in your dental health care is that, when successful, you can avoid the need for extensive dental work to restore permanent damage. For instance, advanced gum disease, called periodontitis, attacks your teeth’s foundational gum tissue and jawbone structure, and is the number one cause of adult tooth loss. Yet, when detected and treated at the initial stage of gingivitis, the infection can typically be reversed with a deep cleaning and comprehensive periodontal maintenance. More thorough than a regular cleaning, a deep cleaning describes the removal of bacteria, plaque, tartar, and toxins from the surfaces of your tooth roots underneath your gums. This scaling procedure is often coupled with root planing—smoothing your teeth’s roots to make it more difficult for bacterial plaque to cling to it. Dr. Zelby may also apply a topical antibacterial agent to help neutralize further bacterial buildup and gingivitis, allowing your gums to heal and reattach to your teeth.
Dental Cleanings and More with Your Atlanta Dentist
Your toothbrush and floss are essential tools for a clean and healthy smile, but they are only so powerful. Maintaining excellent dental health requires the regular maintenance, inspection, and early intervention of your dedicated Atlanta dentist. To learn more about the preventive power of a deep cleaning, or if it’s been a while since your last dental checkup, then schedule an appointment with Dr. Zelby by calling (770) 955-0550 today. Located in the 30339 area, Aesthetic & Implant Dentistry of Atlanta proudly serves patients from all of our surrounding communities.