The Importance of Professional Dental Care

The mouth of all mammals is home to thousands of bacteria.  Many of these bacteria will breed on the surfaces of the tooth and form an invisible layer called plaque. Plaque will become mineralized and is then visible as tartar.  The tartar presses on the gums, which recede, and the bacteria then result in gum inflammation and infection.  As the oral infection increases the bacteria are absorbed into the blood stream and can be carried to other organs.  Heart valve infections as well as kidney and liver problems are frequently due to bad teeth. Sometimes antibiotic treatment is instituted before a full dental prophylaxis is carried out. 

The goal of dental scaling and polishing is to remove the tartar and plaque.

Tooth scaling will be performed both by hand and using ultrasonic cleaning equipment to remove tartar both above and below the gum line. The tartar beneath the gum line causes the most significant gum recession.  The teeth are then polished and a fluoride treatment is applied in order to help prevent subsequent plaque build-up.  It may be necessary to carry out other procedures at the same time, such as extractions.