Dental Cleanings In Margate

Regular cleanings keep your teeth healthy, fresh, and bright. However, how often you should get your teeth cleaned depends on a few factors, including your oral hygiene, lifestyle, and risk of oral health problems.

As the ADA recommends, everyone should get a cleaning at a minimum of 6-month intervals. This means that a healthy patient who practices good oral hygiene at home and never gets any cavities needs to go to your Margate dentist every six months.

The reason is that cleanings are a preventive treatment. They help us prevent cavities and gum disease by removing hardened calculus, or tartar, buildup. We can't remove all the plaque in our mouths by brushing and flossing alone. That means if we don't regularly go to the dentist, this plaque will cause cavities in our teeth which will only worsen over time. Plaque hardens into tartar within 48 hours, a high-risk factor for gum disease.

Tartar can only be removed by a professional dentist with special tools. Patients with a high risk of oral health problems can also benefit from fluoride treatments applied at the end of teeth cleanings, remineralizing the teeth. Patients with diabetes, dry mouth, a high cavity risk, a history of periodontitis, and patients who wear braces or dentures will likely require more frequent checkups and cleanings.

The first stage of a dental cleaning is an oral exam. Dr. Jean will look for signs of cavities, gum disease, and oral cancer. If he finds a reason to take a closer look, we may also take digital x-rays. 

To remove the buildup of bacteria in the mouth, Dr. Jean will use a scaling tool to scrape between your teeth and around the gum line. This removes the buildup of plaque (a film of bacteria) and tartar (hardened plaque) which contribute to oral health problems.

After this, we will clean your teeth with a powerful electric brush and toothpaste. This is also called polishing because it removes surface stains that cause discoloration. After polishing your teeth, we will floss to remove any trapped food particles and bacteria. 

After rinsing, a fluoride varnish is applied to all teeth, which only takes a few minutes. After rinsing, you will need to avoid eating and drinking for 30 minutes. This gives the minerals enough time to be absorbed by the enamel. Book an appointment at Lifestyle Dental Care today if you need a dental cleaning.

The cost of a dental cleaning will vary from office to office because the cost depends on many different factors, including the location of the practice, the technology used, whether you have dental insurance, and the experience of your dentist. 

On average, the cost for a cleaning without insurance is $125, but rates can range anywhere between $75-200. Most insurance plans cover dental cleanings at least once a year at 100% of the cost. 

This is because preventive care is widely covered by insurance, as it prevents the need for more invasive and costly dental work. We accept financing through CareCredit and Proceed Finance if patients don't have insurance and are struggling to afford preventive care.