Routine Dental Cleaning (Dental Prophylaxis)

There are different steps to ensure the most thorough dental care while you are with us at Hymas Family Dental.

 

Your Comfort

We offer a wide array of choices to help provide comfort while you are here. Some of these include Nitrous Oxide, Hot or Cold neck pillows, Chapstick and cozy, fluffy blankets that wrap you in comfort while you are lying back in the dental chair, and protein drinks to fill an empty stomach if needed.

 

Health History and Airway Check

First off, we start by checking your blood pressure and updating your medical history. Your health affects your mouth because our mouths and bodies are linked. We screen for Sleep Related Breathing Disorders which lead to Sleep Apnea. We will thoroughly screen the size of your airway, looking for obstructions that can affect your sleep and your health. We will check for visual links to obstructions that are happening in your sleep that show in your tongue and teeth. This screening continues during your prophy as well. IF we see indications that these things might be happening, we will have an open discussion about our EcoVision process and doing a Sleep Study.

 

X-rays

We will take and update your existing dental x-rays. These help us to see the health of the bone around the roots and crowns of the teeth. These help us detect cavities, bone loss around the roots, and even disease in the mouth. If you have excellent oral health and see us regularly, the doctor might recommend x-rays less often than a patient who is at risk for more cavities. The factors that he considers are your age, oral health, risk for disease, and if there are already signs of oral disease or if you are in discomfort.

 

Periodontal Probing for Measuring Tissue Depth

The next step to deciding the situation of your oral health is to check your periodontal probe depths. These depths are where the hygienist checks the gum tissue with a periodontal probe. The smaller the number, the healthier the area is. When the number gets bigger, the gums have become infected with bacteria and the dental hygienist might recommend a different dental hygiene cleaning to remove this harmful bacteria. Other measurements during this periodontal probing check to see if there is root exposure, if the gum tissue is no longer attached to the underlying bone, if the teeth have become loose, and if the gums are in need of seeing a specialist due to an advancement in Periodontal Disease.

 

Ultrasonic Use, EMS Polisher, Hand Instruments, Polishing Cups

After your hygienist has completed or checked on the current status of your gums, they will move onto the “cleaning” portion or your appointment. There are different instruments used to remove plaque, tartar, and bacteria that will be moved in and out of your mouth over the course of the next little while. It is a top priority for our hygienists that you’re comfortable during your appointment and communication is key. We depend on communication from our patients to let us know that they are comfortable during their appointments and we go to great lengths to try to make this happen.

 

Oral Homecare Instructions

You will always be receiving suggestions, hints, and tricks on ways you can improve the efficiency of your homecare. We have special homecare aids that we will give you and they will help you achieve a healthier mouth. We will show you how to use all of these effectively and any questions you may have are welcomed. We want you to be successful.

 

Dental Examination

To finish things off at the prophy appointment, the doctor will come into your dental suite and go over everything with you that day. Your x-rays will be examined, your mouth will be looked at, and any concerns will be addressed. This examination might be long or short, depending on what you need from the doctor that day. We want you to feel taken care of here, we want you to feel important. This is our priority.

 

Why do You Need a Prophylaxis?

You may ask yourself why a prophy appointment is necessary if you are brushing and flossing your teeth or if you are using that “fancy” electric toothbrush at home. Here are a few reasons and we hope you can internalize the value yourself. Our mouths are a bacteria factory! The moment we remove some bacteria with brushing or flossing, new bacteria regrows. For many people, this bacteria ends up growing a bit out of control which can cause systemic infection throughout the body. It can also cause buildup on the teeth that more bacteria can hide between and hold onto. Our highly trained hygienists work so hard to help remove this bacteria, decreasing your mouth’s bacteria load so you can better manage that bacteria at home between your dental visits. The longer you go between your dental visits, the better chance this bacteria has to go unchecked which can sometimes cause irreversible damage to your teeth, underlying bones, and gums.

 

How Often do You need a Prophylaxis?

The answer to this question depends on you as an individual! This answer is usually two times a year, but under certain circumstances, your dentists and dental hygienist will use their professional judgement to educate you and help you understand why your mouth and body might need you to come get a prophy three or four times a year. Remember, this is all about bacteria and what bacteria does in your mouth and to your body. None of us are created equal and there are many factors in life that affect the bacteria in the mouth and in turn, how it affects the body. It is through a consistent relationship with your dentist and dental hygienist that they will be able to answer this question specifically for you and help you become a healthier version of yourself.