Plaque is an invisible film of bacteria that lives on your teeth and gums. After you eat, plaque consumes the sugar left behind and produces acid that destroys your enamel and gums. Over time, this plaque hardens into tartar. While you can brush and floss away plaque, only a dental professional can remove tartar. This is why it’s important you don’t skip your dental cleanings each year.
What to Expect
During your appointment, we’ll do an initial check of your teeth and gums. If we see any obvious signs of tooth decay or gum disease, we may flag down one of our dentists to take a look. Otherwise, we’ll get started with the .
The first thing your dental hygienist will do is use a tool called a “scaler” to gently scrape away plaque and tartar. They’ll then polish your teeth with gritty toothpaste and a high-powered toothbrush. Throughout your teeth cleaning, our dental hygienist will squirt a little water in your mouth so you can rinse away debris. They’ll then suction away the water so you’re left with a clean smile.
The last step of your dental cleaning is for us to floss your teeth. You’ll then be ready for your final checkup with one of our teeth cleaning dentists. If you have any questions for our dentists, this is your best time to ask. Our dentists can give you advice for how to maintain your smile from home. Our teeth cleaning dentists can also talk about our different dental services we offer patients, such as teeth whitening.
Ryan Frederickson DDS and Lee Frederickson DDS are accepting new patients! To request an appointment with one of our teeth cleaning dentists in Wyoming, MI, call (616) 534-5602.