Getting your teeth cleaned is incredibly important and is something that you should do regularly. Most dentists recommend getting a dentist teeth cleaning at least twice a year, but there are a lot of factors to consider when it comes to getting your teeth cleaned.
Knowing the best person to go to to get your teeth cleaned is important if you want to make sure that you’re getting the best possible care taken of your teeth. Your teeth paint a pretty clear picture of your health, so you deserve to make sure that you’re getting the best care possible.
Dental hygiene is something that’s often overlooked by people the world over for a variety of reasons. Some people don’t understand the importance, some people don’t care, and a lot of people are just scared of going to the dentist so they keep it far from their minds.
That’s why we’re going to be figuring out which is better to go to for your dental cleanings, a dentist or a dental hygienist. Both of these types of dental medical professionals can provide high-quality cleanings, but which one is actually better at it?
What You Should be Doing at Home
Now, going to the dentist to get your dental cleanings is something that’s incredibly important for ensuring that you’re taking the best possible care of your teeth That being said, there are some things that you should be doing at home to keep your teeth healthy.
Here’s What Most Dentists Recommend:
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Daily Brushing.
Brushing your teeth can help reduce plaque buildup and most dentists recommend doing this 2-3 times a day. If you have severe dental issues, you might need to brush after any time you eat.
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Regular Flossing.
Flossing helps get bits of food out from between your teeth. This helps you have better breath and also helps cut back on the risk of infection. Most dentists recommend that you do this 1-2 times a day.
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Consistent Use of Mouthwash.
Mouthwash gets a bad rep in the minds of the general public, but it can also help further reduce the amount of plaque that builds up on your teeth. You should use mouthwash at least once a day.
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Don’t Forget your Tongue.
It’s common for people to forget to clean their tongue, even more common than people forgetting to floss. You can do this with your brush or with some floss, they even make special tongue scrapers you can buy. You should do this whenever you brush your teeth.
Making sure that you follow those steps can ensure that you’re getting the best possible dental hygiene just by adding a few things to your daily routine.
If you have serious dental issues you might have to do these things more frequently than other people and you may have to use special products that are prescribed to you by your dentist to make sure that you’re getting as much out of your routine as possible.
What Exactly Are Dental Cleanings?
Now that we understand exactly what you need to do at home to make sure that you’re taking really good care of your teeth, let’s take a look at what the dentist or oral hygienist will do when you get a cleaning from them.
If you go to the dentist as much as you’re supposed to, and most Americans do not, you’re probably pretty familiar with the process. If you’ve been slacking on going to the dentist, there’s a good chance that you’re not super familiar with this process, so we’re going to break it down for you:
Find a Dentist and Schedule an Appointment.
If you already have a dentist you can skip this step, but if you do not it is going to be important.
1. Show Up at the Dental Office for your Appointment and Check-in.
If you’re a new patient, there’s a good chance that you’ll need to fill out some paperwork first. This is just intake paperwork and will require a bit of your information.
2. Wait to Get Called to the Back.
Once you’re called, you’ll more than likely be greeted by a nurse who will lead you to the dentist’s chair where you’ll have the procedure done in.
3. Wait for the Dentist or Hygienist.
Dental offices have a lot of patients, so this can take 10-20 minutes in some cases.
4. You will Receive an Exam to Make Sure that you don’t have Any Major Issues.
If you do have any major issues a dentist will be called over to make sure that it’s ok to continue.
5. The Dentist will Begin Removing Plaque and Tarter.
This is the first step after the exam, and it’s done with a scaler.
6. A Gritty Toothpaste is Applied to your Teeth.
Dentists use a toothpaste that’s very gritty to get help make your teeth that much cleaner. It’s almost like the orange hand soap that mechanics use, but it is not orange-scented.
7. The Dentist will Floss your Teeth.
Even if you floss your teeth at home, a floss done by a dental professional is something else entirely. You have someone who knows what they’re doing flossing your teeth for you, and the results are a lot more precise.
8. A Rise is Used.
After all of the other steps, you’re going to have a lot of stuff in your mouth. If you haven’t been good about flossing, there’s a good chance that blood will be among the things in your mouth. A good rinsing helps to clear out all of the debris, blood, and plaque from the cleaning.
9. Lastly, a Fluoride Treatment is Used.
This treatment is used to protect your teeth from developing cavities for months after your cleaning is done, allowing you protection until your next cleaning.
Once all of these steps are done, you can leave and go about your day. Whatever that might entail. It’s pretty easy to get done and it only takes a little bit of time to complete.
The best part about it is that your mouth will feel super clean by the time you’re done, and that’s a pleasant feeling. That feeling will probably stay for a few hours, so it’s best to enjoy it while it lasts until the next time you get a cleaning.
Many dentist’s offices will want to schedule your next cleaning when you’re done so that both you and the dentist can know for sure that you’re going to be able to make it in 4-6 months. That makes everyone involved’s lives easier and helps you stay on top of your oral hygiene.
Who is Best at Cleaning Teeth?
Now that we know everything that we need to know about dental hygiene for the purposes of this article, it’s time to figure out if a dentist or a dental hygienist is able to provide a better oral cleaning. Both of these kinds of people can provide cleanings, but which is better?
Before we get to the real meat of the answer, we have to take a quick look at what dentists and dental hygienists actually are. Without that understanding, the answer might not be as clear as it could be otherwise
Let’s start off with a dentist. Dentists are doctors that specialize in dentistry, or the treatment and study of the teeth. Dentists are also known as dental surgeons because they are able to provide oral surgeries when patients require that kind of service. Surgery is only done when patients need it.
Dental hygienists, on the other hand, are trained to spot major issues with the mouth. This can include disease, infections, and many other issues that can lead to serious health issues. Dental hygienists are also trained to provide preventative care so that major issues don’t develop in the immediate future.
So, now that we know what both of these professions do, who is better at giving oral cleanings? A dental surgeon or a dental hygienist? The answer might be as obvious as it seems, but a dental hygienist is able to provide better cleanings than a dentist is able to.
Of course, both a dental hygienist and a dentist can provide oral cleanings, it’s not a complicated process in the slightest. That being said, dental hygienists are specifically trained to do this so they’re working from experience, while dentists are working based on what they already know about the mouth and work from there.
Getting the Best Cleaning Possible
Your mouth is important. It’s the orifice with which you talk, eat, and drink. Taking care of your mouth and your teeth can help you ensure that you live a longer, healthier, and happier life, and getting regular cleanings can help a lot with that.
Knowing how to get the best possible cleaning can help you even further, and it really is just the difference between a dentist and a dental hygienist. That being said, it doesn’t matter which you go to so long as you make a point of going to the dentist regularly.