Dental Hygiene in Ballwin, MO

Proper dental hygiene includes brushing at least two times a day, ideally with an electric toothbrush, flossing at least once a day, and using a fluoridated mouthwash.

If you don't practice good dental hygiene, you can expect gingivitis, tartar buildup, and plaque buildup. Gingivitis can lead to periodontitis, which is bone loss in your mouth and is irreversible. Therefore, maintaining good oral hygiene is very important.

A dental hygienist has many duties including taking x-rays, perio-charting the patient, providing patient education, and cleaning the teeth. Sometimes we need to do a deeper cleaning called scaling and root planing, especially if you've been neglecting your dental hygiene.

A dental cleaning involves perio-charting, where we measure your gum and bone health. Then we use instruments, such as the Cavitron, that squirts out water and vibrates ultrasonically to remove all the plaque and tartar from your mouth.

Dental hygienists use a variety of tools, including a Cavitron unit that vibrates ultrasonically, and hand instruments as well.

In a healthy mouth, typically a cleaning does not hurt. However, if you have gingivitis or periodontitis, areas of sensitivity can be common.

A typical dental cleaning usually takes between 40 minutes to an hour.

A deep cleaning can be necessary when you have built up tartar underneath your gums that a typical cleaning will not remove.

The most important thing for you to do after a dental cleaning is to maintain proper oral hygiene, which means brushing twice a day, flossing every day, and using fluoridated mouth rinse.

Scheduling a dental hygiene appointment is easy, just give us a call and we'll be happy to put you on the schedule.

If you're ready to get started and take care of your mouth, give us a call at (636) 434-1244.