Most individuals will not bother visiting a dental hygienist or dentist frequently until they develop a dental or oral health problem, which is an unwise idea. If several months or years have passed since you visited a dentist for a preventive dental or oral care appointment, you have several reasons to consider prophylaxis.

Also known as routine teeth cleaning, dental prophylaxis is a non-invasive procedure that allows your dentist to inspect your overall dental and oral health and clean your teeth thoroughly. These routine cleanings are vital because your dentist can see and clean areas of your teeth that you cannot thoroughly clean with your toothbrush, keeping cavities and periodontal diseases at bay.

If you are looking for a reliable dentist for your and your family's dental prophylaxis services, our dentists at Los Angeles Advanced Dentistry are here to help. In addition to having well-trained dentists, we are well-equipped with modern dentistry equipment to ensure you receive the best services.

Notable Benefits of Dental Prophylaxis That You Ought to Know

Generally speaking, dental prophylaxis is a crucial procedure you cannot overlook if you want to maintain good dental and oral health. It also helps you live a healthy life because compromised dental health can affect overall health. The benefits of dental prophylaxis or regular teeth cleaning are several, but here are key notable benefits you will reap from these routine appointments:

Helps Prevent Common Dental Problems

Dental prophylaxis, or routine dental care, is an important preventive dental and oral care routine because it helps keep teeth plaque-free. Plaque is a sticky, colorless, acidic substance that forms on the surface of teeth when saliva mixes with food.

While regular tooth brushing and flossing help keep teeth clean, plaque buildup and food debris below the gum line and in hard-to-reach areas of your mouth could cause some concerns when left unchecked. For example, the plaque could cause cavities and periodontal diseases because it forms an ideal environment for bacteria to thrive.

However, regular dental prophylaxis with a reliable dentist can prevent that. During this routine procedure, your dentist can remove plaque buildup on your teeth' surface and below your gum line, arresting the development or advancement of dental and oral health issues like cavities and gingivitis.

Helps Improve Your Dental Aesthetics

While stained or yellowed teeth are not a serious health issue, they could significantly affect your smile's aesthetic appearance and confidence. Fortunately, regular dental prophylaxis is an effective remedy for these stubborn stains and discolorations that develop on your teeth over time due to tobacco chewing and smoking or other lifestyle activities, like drinking staining drinks like coffee.

During your dental prophylaxis appointment, your dentist will thoroughly clean your teeth to remove all surface stains and discolorations on your enamel for the celebrity-like smile you deserve. For intrinsic stains, your dentist could recommend advanced treatment, like teeth whitening, using bleaching agents for a brighter smile.

Helps Prevent Halitosis or Bad Breath Issues

Also known as halitosis, bad breath can be embarrassing and significantly affect your self-esteem and confidence. While you can experience bad breath after eating smelly foods like onions and ginger, persistent bad breath could indicate gum or periodontal disease.

Fortunately, regular prophylaxis can effectively treat halitosis by removing the calculus and stubborn stains your toothbrush cannot scrape out, especially in hard-to-reach areas of your mouth. After your prophylaxis appointment, you will undoubtedly notice that your breath is fresher than before, and you can enjoy it the entire day.

Helps You Avoid Extensive Dental and Oral Care Procedures

Untreated dental plaque can necessitate various extensive dental procedures, like root canal therapy. Root canal therapy helps prevent tooth loss when harmful bacteria penetrate the inside and sensitive part of the tooth, also known as the pulp chamber. However, this procedure is preventable through regular teeth cleaning appointments because this harmful bacteria does not penetrate the inside of your tooth overnight.

If you have an untreated cavity or tooth crack, bacteria will usually enter the pulp chamber of your teeth over time and compromise it, necessitating root canal therapy. Therefore, keeping up with your regular dental appointments is vital to prevent the chances of root canal therapy or any other extensive dental procedures, like gum surgery.

Helps in the Detection of Other Health Issues

Your dental and oral health speaks volumes about your overall body health. Bacteria or plaque build-up on the surface of your tooth can cause other systematic health issues, like diabetes or heart disease when these bacteria enter the bloodstream.

During your routine dental prophylaxis and oral examination, your dentist may notice the signs and symptoms of other oral health issues, like diabetes, which often causes bleeding gums and dry mouth. Oral cancers, which usually manifest as abnormal growth or lumps in your mouth, are also detectable during routine dental appointments, facilitating early treatment.

Excellent Candidates for Dental Prophylaxis

Routine dental prophylaxis is vital for maintaining optimal dental and oral health. Although any person could benefit from this regular preventive procedure, some individuals are more prone to various dental problems and could need it more frequently. Examples of these individuals include the following:

Teenagers and Children

Teenagers and children should schedule regular dental prophylaxis with a dentist because their gums, jaws, and teeth are still developing. During this routine appointment, the dentist can examine their dental health to determine whether they are at risk of orthodontic issues, like teeth crowding or malocclusion, for appropriate treatment.

When left untreated for an extended period, these issues can become problematic, necessitating expensive treatments. Teenagers and children with a history of frequent tooth decay and gum disease could benefit from regular teeth cleaning appointments to avoid the recurrence of these issues.

Pregnant Women

Pregnant women could also benefit greatly from this preventive dental care routine because hormonal changes during pregnancy could increase their risk of developing gum disease. You cannot overlook the need for routine dental prophylaxis if you have a weakened immune system due to certain medications or chronic health issues.

During these preventive dental care appointments, your dentist can help check whether you are at risk of dental or oral health issues for appropriate treatment.

People Who Wear Braces

Regular dental appointments are essential if you are undergoing orthodontic treatment and your dentist has recommended wearing metal or traditional braces. For braces wearers, routine dental prophylaxis can help them stay on top of their dental and oral health because these dental appliances can trap some food particles, increasing the risk of plaque buildup.

Generally speaking, anyone who wants to maintain good dental health and the aesthetics of their smile throughout their lifetime could benefit from routine teeth cleaning services. While it is advisable to visit your dentist for routine prophylaxis services every six (6) months or twice a year, you can visit a dentist sooner if you have a dental emergency, like a knocked-out tooth.

How to Prepare for Dental Prophylaxis

Like most dental procedures, preparing for a dental prophylaxis procedure is vital. Proper preparation can ensure the success of your scheduled services and improve your overall experience at the dentist clinic. Below are tips on how to prepare for your dental prophylaxis procedure:

  1. Floss and Brush Your Teeth

While you could be tempted to go for your dental prophylaxis appointment without brushing and flossing your teeth because your dentist will clean them, doing so is vital. Flossing and brushing your teeth before your dental prophylaxis appointment helps freshen your breath and show the dentist you are excellent at your job.

Since every person's mouth has germs, brushing and flossing your teeth before your routine teeth cleaning appointment can help prevent the transmission of germs.

  1. Take Prescribed Painkillers

Since tartar and tartar buildup cause gum swelling and inflammation during and after your dental prophylaxis appointment, your dentist could prescribe a painkiller. A painkiller, like naproxen, could alleviate unnecessary discomfort before and after treatment.

When you have gum bleeding issues, you should inform your dentist beforehand for appropriate solutions before your dental prophylaxis appointment.

  1. Avoid Whitening Your Teeth

While you could want to please and impress the dentist by showing him/her that your dental care habits are top-notch, whitening your teeth is not wise. In many situations, teeth whitening could make your teeth sensitive, affecting your comfort during your dental prophylaxis appointment.

If you want a smile makeover, you can ask your dentist to whiten your teeth immediately after your dental prophylaxis procedure. Whitening your teeth after a routine teeth cleaning procedure is an excellent idea and can increase the effectiveness of your whitening solutions since your teeth are plaque-free.

  1. Brush Your Teeth Correctly

Teeth brushing is vital for optimal oral and dental health but can be problematic when performed incorrectly. Aggressive tooth brushing could wear out your enamel and make your teeth prone to sensitivity issues during your routine teeth cleaning appointment with your dentist.

  1. Write All the Questions You Would Want Your Dentist to Answer

Sometimes, dental anxiety during your scheduled dental prophylaxis appointment can make you forget important critical questions you would want your dentist to shed light on. Therefore, jotting down all your questions in a notebook or phone before the appointment can help ensure all your queries and concerns are answered.

  1. Stay Calm and Practice Relaxation Techniques

Dental anxiety makes many people skip their routine dental appointments, which is not a wise idea. If you have dental anxiety, you should inform your dentist, and he/she will recommend ways to ease the anxiety and ensure the utmost comfort during the appointment. For instance, your dentist could recommend you arrive at his/her clinic early and have a playlist comprising your favorite music.

For the best experience at your dentist's office, take a deep breath and gradually release it after sitting down. Doing that can help you feel less anxious.

  1. Reschedule Your Dental Prophylaxis Appointment When You Feel Sick

Health issues can compromise your body's immune system, making your dental cleaning appointment risky. Generally, the procedure involves scraping teeth to remove tartar buildup. Unfortunately, teeth scraping causes gum inflammation and irritation, which can cause bacteremia, where bacteria enter the bloodstream from the mouth.

Under usual circumstances, bacteremia is not an issue to worry about, but if you are ill and the immune system is likely compromised, it could negatively impact your health.

What to Anticipate During Dental Prophylaxis Procedure

Your dentist could decide to clean your teeth during regular dental check-ups or when he/she suspects you are at risk of severe gingivitis. If you are scheduled for a dental prophylaxis appointment, your dentist will offer various services to identify and prevent possible oral and dental health issues. Examples of these services include:

  • Dental examination
  • Bitewing radiograph (X-ray)
  • Cleaning
  • Root scaling or planing
  • Teeth polishing
  • Fluoride therapy

These services offer comprehensive benefits to your general dental health and aesthetics. While X-rays help identify tooth decay and cavities, thorough cleaning is necessary to remove calculus and tartar buildup. Explained are the standard steps to expect during the scheduled dental prophylaxis appointment with your dentist:

Mouth Examination

Before the teeth cleaning procedure commences, the dentist will thoroughly examine your gums and teeth to identify any issues and determine the level of cleaning required to ensure optimal dental and oral health. If the dentist finds cavities or periodontal disease during this exam, he/she will prepare a treatment regime to address this issue.

Plaque and Tartar Buildup Removal

If you have plaque or tartar buildup on the surface of your teeth, your dentist will use special tools, like ultrasonic equipment or a scalar, to scrape it off through a procedure known as scaling. This procedure is vital to prevent the progression of periodontal diseases.

Root planing could also be necessary if the plaque buildup is below your gum line. During root planing, the dentist will scrape off all the plaque buildup below your gum line and the affected tooth roots to stop the progression of the infection.

Teeth Polishing and Cleaning

During this stage, your dentist will polish your teeth using a unique revolving brush to remove any remaining plaque buildup and smoothen any edges on the surface of your teeth and roots where bacteria could attach. After thoroughly polishing your teeth, the dentist will thoroughly floss and clean all your teeth and tongue to wipe out all the food debris and plaque.

Fluoride Treatment

While this procedure is optional, your dentist could recommend fluoride treatment to remineralize and strengthen your teeth's enamel to reduce the chances of developing cavities.

Oral and Dental Health Education and Recommendations

The purpose of scheduling an appointment with your dentist for prophylaxis services is to ensure optimal dental and oral health. After the procedure, your dentist will offer you valuable guidance and insights on staying on top of your dental and oral health. For example, he/she could recommend a dental care product or guide you on the correct teeth brushing practices.

In addition to offering valuable guidance on how to enhance and maintain your dental and oral health, your dentist could also recommend other crucial treatments such as:

  • Regular periodontal probing and exams
  • Tooth extraction
  • Restorative dentistry, like filling
  • Root canal therapy

What to Remember After Your Dental Prophylaxis Appointment

What you do following your dental prophylaxis appointment is crucial to maintaining the best possible oral and dental health. Below are the key tips to remember to accelerate your healing process and ensure optimal health before your next appointment with your dentist:

Wait for Any Lingering Numbness to Subside Before Eating

During the prophylaxis, the dentist will likely use local anesthesia medication to numb the jaw and gums. You should wait for this numbness to wear off before eating. Also, since your gums and teeth could still be sensitive after the procedure, it is advisable to avoid hot and cold food and drinks immediately.

If you have had fluoride treatment to strengthen your teeth' enamel, you should wait at least thirty (30) minutes before eating to allow the fluoride to seal around your tooth.

Look Out for any Potential Pain or Discomfort

While it does not occur to every patient, you could experience pain or discomfort in your teeth and gums after your dental prophylaxis. When you experience any side effects of the procedure, you do not have to worry because they are normal and will disappear within a few hours or days.

Nonetheless, you should see your dentist for an examination and treatment if the pain or discomfort continues. 

Take the Prescribed Medications

Your dentist could recommend some antibiotics and painkillers after your dental prophylaxis procedure. Ensure you take them as your dentist prescribed to prevent reinfection and decrease discomfort.

Find a Los Angeles Dentist Near Me

In addition to preventing dental and oral health issues and improving the aesthetic appearance of your smile, routine dental prophylaxis can help prevent other health issues for the healthy life you deserve. If you or a loved one needs routine dental prophylaxis services, you can rely on our reputable and seasoned dentists at the Los Angeles Advanced Dentistry.

We invite you to call us at 310-361-2080 to discuss your dental and oral health concerns with our credible dentists.