4 types of dental cleanings in Costa Rica
Excess bacteria can be removed from the teeth by regular brushing, flossing and dental cleanings so we leave you with 4 types of dental cleanings in Costa Rica that can be performed to prevent tartar buildup and dental disease.
To prevent bacteria populations from growing and causing dental problems such as cavities and gum disease, we advise people to visit their preferred or usual dentist at least every six months for a dental exam and cleaning.
Dental exams will allow your general dentist to assess the health of your teeth and gums, while professional dental cleanings will remove excess plaque and tartar. Since bacteria live in dental plaque and tartar, this also removes large amounts of bacteria.
What is a dental cleaning?
Dental cleaning is primarily aimed at preventing the onset of periodontal disease in adults. To achieve this, the dental plaque that accumulates around the teeth must be removed.
Dental plaque is a yellowish-white, soft material formed by the accumulation of food debris, saliva components, bacteria and dead cells from the oral cavity itself.
If this dental plaque accumulates and is not removed soon, calcium salts from the saliva are deposited in the plaque and mineralize it to tartar.
Once formed, tartar must be removed with a professional dental cleaning or scaling to prevent the bacteria that live in it from developing periodontitis, where the supporting bone of the teeth, the periodontal ligament and the gums are affected.
This can cause bleeding, bad breath, tooth mobility, and in the most severe cases, lead to tooth loss due to decay.
How often should I have my teeth cleaned?
It depends on the individual needs of each patient, as everyone is different. Some patients are simply more prone to dental problems, so they need to see a dental professional more frequently.
Other patients have hardly any dental problems, so they are likely to need a dental cleaning less frequently.
At Lamicq Dental Care, we recommend always making an appointment for a dental cleaning or dental exam every 6 months. While this is ideal for most people, some people will need to come in every three months and others only every nine to twelve months.
Types of dental cleanings
1. Prophylactic Dental Cleaning
The word prophylaxis means "to prevent disease". Therefore, prophylactic dental cleanings are used to clean healthy teeth in order to prevent them from being affected by cavities or gum disease. This is the common dental cleaning and we should have it at least every 6 months.
Prophylactic cleanings remove plaque and tartar from the front, back and sides of the teeth using a dental scaler. Most dental patients only need a prophylactic cleaning, especially if they have maintained daily dental hygiene and have kept their semi-annual dental appointments.
2. Cleaning with scaling and root planing
Scaling and root planing cleanings, also known as deep cleanings, are used on both teeth and gum pockets to treat gingivitis and periodontitis.
Deep cleanings for gingivitis are usually completed in a single appointment with our dentist. Deep cleanings for periodontitis, may require several appointments and local anesthetics depending on the severity.
Scaling is the process that removes plaque and tartar from the tooth surface and in the gum pockets below the gum line that form as a result of gum disease.
This not only removes bacteria, but also helps reduce gum inflammation. Root planing is the process of smoothing the roots of the teeth, which helps the gums reattach to the teeth and eliminate gum pockets.
3. Maintenance periodontal cleaning
Maintenance periodontal cleanings are also dental cleanings designed to treat gum disease. Like scaling and root planing, they remove excess plaque and tartar from the tooth surface and gum pockets, and then smooth the roots if necessary.
What sets maintenance periodontal cleanings apart is that they are usually performed more frequently than other types of dental cleanings. This is because gum disease is progressive and will continue to worsen if not effectively treated.
4. Cleaning by coarse debridement
Gross debridement cleanings are the toughest dental cleanings, designed to clean teeth with large amounts of plaque and tartar.
These cases are usually patients or individuals who struggle to maintain an oral care routine or who have avoided the dentist for a significant amount of time.
Because plaque hardens into tartar, and large amounts of tartar are especially hard, a power tool is used to loosen the tartar during coarse debridement cleanings.
Where to have a dental cleaning in Costa Rica?
As you can see, dental cleanings can be the solution to almost all dental diseases if they are performed frequently and in an orderly manner. However, if they are not done, we are at risk of having tartar build-up and, in the worst case, losing a tooth by not performing these routine treatments.
At Lamicq Dental Care we perform dental cleanings often including weekends for people who have more rigid work schedules. Dental cleanings can take anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes depending on how often you have your teeth cleaned or how much tartar buildup you may have.
The clinic is located in San Francisco de Dos Rios and you can contact directly to our WhatsApp to check the price of dental cleaning and schedule an appointment quickly and easily.
More information?
2. Dolor al masticar:
Masticar no debería representar molestia alguna si tu dentadura está sana. El hecho de que te duela el masticar es indicativo de que hay algún problema.
Incluso si a simple vista no logras divisar ninguna alteración en tus dientes o encías, pero igual sientes dolor o molestia cuando come, es un posible indicativo de necesidad de endodoncia.