Blog

It can be tempting to discount the role of professional cleanings and exams in the daily life of your teeth. After all, how much better a job can we do at Dr. Egger’s than you already do at home, right? So, what’s the big deal missing your regular appointments for a couple years? 

Hmm. That’s the road to gum disease that you just turned down. 

And no, that’s not a scare tactic, that’s reality. Here’s what we do during our twice-yearly cleanings and exams with Dr. Egger and our team, along with why they are so important to maintaining a relatively carefree dental life. 

What’s the point? 

Professional cleanings have a couple components that we’ll get to in a bit. But first, the frequency — why twice a year? That is about the time it takes plaque to turn into tartar to a degree that it needs to be removed. And only professional dental hygienists and dentists can remove tartar. 

Here’s the process. Plaque is the sticky film that builds up on your teeth during the day. It has plenty of bacteria in it. But plaque is no match for your toothbrush and dental floss. Brushing twice daily and flossing once is usually all it takes to get rid of the day’s plaque and keep your teeth and gums happy. 

But if you neglect your brushing and flossing, or do just a cursory job, that plaque stays on your teeth. If left to its own devices, it works its way down under the gums and begins irritating them. This is called gingivitis. Plus, plaque eventually calcifies and becomes tartar. Tartar can only be chipped away with dental picks at a dentist’s office. If you leave the tartar there, it also heads under your gumline. Now you’re in big trouble as you have the beginnings of gum disease. Your gums pull away from the tartar and form pockets that harbor lots of bacteria. Those bacteria attack the tooth roots and the gums. You can see where this is heading — decay, infection, and tooth loss. 

Or you could keep your twice-yearly appointments 

At your regular appointments at Dr. Egger’s we first perform a dental exam. This is what we check: 

•     Diagnostic dental X-rays. X-rays are crucial in detecting decay, possible tumors, cysts, and bone loss in the patient. X-rays also show Dr. Egger the position of each tooth and its root.
•     Oral cancer screening. Dr. Egger will check your gums, tissues, throat, tongue, lips, face, and neck for any signs of oral cancer.
•     Evaluation of gum disease. He checks the gums as well as the bone surrounding the teeth for signs of periodontal disease.
•     Examination of dental decay. Every tooth surface will be examined for decay.
•     Examination of existing dental restorations. Your existing dental restorations — fillings, crowns, bridges, veneers, etc. — will be checked for stability and wear.

Now, for the cleaning, called dental prophylaxis just to be fancy! This is what your hygienist will do:

•   Calculus (tartar) removal. Plaque that has hardened into tartar is the first priority. It is commonly found above and below the gumline and can’t be removed by tooth brushing alone. Special dental instruments are needed to completely remove tartar, breaking the bond it has formed on the tooth surface.
•   Plaque removal. With the tartar banished to the vacuum tube, it’s time to de-plaque your teeth. Plaque is a nearly invisible, sticky substance that forms on the teeth.
•   Teeth polishing. This final step polishes the teeth, while removing any last plaque remnants. We use an extra gritty polishing compound that scrubs away stains on your enamel and makes your teeth pearly white.

See? That’s a lot of stuff. And it’s all necessary to keep your teeth happy and smiling away. Is it time to make your twice-yearly appointment with Dr. Egger and our team? Call us at (989) 773-3560, and please remember our office is closed on Fridays in the summer months.